The Wolf Emerges
by KiraLex
Summary: A young Nord man on his way home to Skyrim shipwrecks off the coast of Dawnstar after the ship strikes an iceberg and is the sole survivor. After growing up in the desert climate of Hammerfell, can he survive the harsh cold of Skyrim and make it home to Kynesgrove?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Secure those lines!"

"Hold fast! The waves are comin!"

"Quickly, tie up the barrels!"

The voices drifted down the stairs that led into the belly of the ship amidst the wind and the rain clear enough for him to hear what was being said, though he didn't understand it all. It wasn't that he was an idiot, he just was not a sailor by any stretch of the imagination. As he knelt inside his small cabin, praying to Talos to keep him safe and allow him to reach the shores of Windhelm without injury, he continued to tell himself that the Divines would not allow him to perish this way. He was a Nord and a Nord man should fall with a sword in his hand, not at sea.

Helgrim Frost-Blood was a man who enjoyed keeping his two feet on solid ground, but this trip was something of a "coming of age" journey for him. For the past sixteen years he had been living in Hammerfell where his parents had moved them to avoid religious persecution. When he became a man and heard what was going on in Skyrim, he vowed that he would return and join the fight. He would fight for the rebellion as well as the freedom to worship any of the Divines, not just certain ones allowed by the Empire. A month ago he went to his parents and told them of his wishes. They weren't happy with what he had decided, but supported him. His mother had cried for days before he left, which almost made him stay home, but in the end it was his mother who made him go. She understood that it was something he needed to do and they couldn't stand in his way. Saying farewell to his three little sisters was also very hard for him. The youngest, only five years old, couldn't understand why he was leaving. He held her and kissed her cheek, then pointed at the starry sky.

"Do you see those stars up there, Kenna?"

"Aye Grim. What 'bout'm?"

"Any time that you feel sad that I'm not here all you gotta do is look up there and know that I'm looking at the same sky. Alright?"

"How will I know?"

"You'll know in your heart, Kenna. Talos will keep me safe and bring me back to you. Have faith in that."

Helgrim had given his little sister another hug and kiss, then set her back on the ground. After saying goodbye to his sisters, he turned to Koli and held his hand out to his brother. Koli, who was only 12 years old, hesitated before finally taking Helgrim's hand in a strong grip the two shared. Then Helgrim pulled him close and gave him a hug.

"When Papa is away hunting, you'll need to be the man and keep your sisters and mother safe. Understand? Promise me."

"I promise, Grim. Stay safe, brother. Talos guide you."

Helgrim had taken a long time to say goodbye to his family, but it had taken even longer to say goodbye to Eir. Spending the last few hours before the caravan left Gilane in the arms of his lover, Helgrim nearly asked her to come with him, but he didn't think her father would let her. Actually, he was sure of it. The man was built like the forge he worked and it didn't matter that he was the man's apprentice, if he knew about the dalliance going on between Eir and Helgrim, he would have put Grim into the ground long ago. Eir cried as he kissed her once more, slipped out of her bedroom window and headed to the caravan station to start the journey that would take him back to his homeland. A homeland he knew only what his parents had told him about. At least they warned him to wear, and pack, warmer clothes. He climbed aboard the wagon and watched the village of Gilane disappear as the caravan headed out destined for Sentinel. They had started traveling before dawn, so Helgrim closed his eyes and drifted into a light sleep.

The trip to Sentinel from Gilane only took two days and that was with stopping a several times. Helgrim had been to Sentinel a few times in his life, but this time he had a purpose to be here. After he had a quick meal at the local inn, he headed to the docks to secure passage on a ship crossing the channel to High Rock. He spent three days in Sentinel before he found a ship that was willing to take his money for a spot on board. The trip to Wayrest was a little longer, almost five days because of rough seas and the rocks that lined the shores. Finally, however, he stepped onto High Rock soil and was that much closer to Skyrim. Though it had taken him almost two weeks to get to this point, it was easier than crossing the desert would have been. He had not looked forward to that at all, so he was glad that he'd not needed to go that route. That night Helgrim stayed in an inn to rest up before the caravan trip that would take him up to Northpoint.

He'd been lucky when they docked in Wayrest because a caravan was looking to hire on guards on their way north. Helgrim knew that he would have to earn some money before reaching the next shore so that he could buy passage on another ship that would then take him to Skyrim. He was a pretty hardy guy and was no stranger to work, so when he saw the caravan looking for guards, he offered his service. The journey only took two days from Wayrest to Northpoint, but Helgrim could feel the air getting progressively colder. He was glad for the warm clothes his parents had told him to pack. After reaching Northpoint, he thanked the caravan leader, got his pay and searched for a ship that was headed to Windhelm. The Skinny Horker, the name of the ship, was not a very pretty boat, but it would at least get him where he needed to go, or so said the captain. It would not be that easy, however, as he soon found out.

He sent the last prayer to Talos and stood once again, rocked with the waves and gasped as the water began to enter the cabin. He shook his head to clear it and decided to take action. Quickly, he turned and grabbed a knapsack, stuffing whatever clothes he could into it as well as his coin purse and the little food he had left. He slung that over his shoulder and opened the door. Immediately he was hit with a wave of water that knocked him backwards and down. Coughing to clear his lungs of the water as he stood up, shakily, Helgrim determined that he needed to get out of the cabin. Stepping out in thigh-high water, he saw that the bottom was full of sea water and the door leading to the top deck was flapping in the wind. Unchecked. Not a good sign.

He strained his ears to hear for the voices of the sailors only to be met with silence other than wind, rain, thunder and the flapping door. Just as Helgrim was about to make his way to the stairs leading up the ship rocked violently to the side, tossing the man back into the freezing waters. As he struggled to right himself once more, he became disoriented and fought the rising panic inside his body. He fought it long enough to find the surface and make for it. As he broke through and gasped for air, he opened his eyes and was shocked. As he had been underwater, the entire ship had turned, rolling over so that the bottom was now the top. He tread water, keeping his head above the water in what he realized was only an air pocket, made when the ship capsized.

After checking his knapsack to ensure it was still on his back, he shivered and watched his breath fog in the air before he looked through the hold and gathered what he could. He said prayers to those who did not survive that he saw through his search and found his way through the ship. As he reached the surface once more, he gulped air and looked around. Bodies of the sailors remained floating near the ship and he lifted his eyes to the still-cloudy skies, cursing the Divines for sending a storm that day. Gathering his courage, Helgrim climbed out of the water and onto the hull of the ship which was sticking out of the water. He hugged his arms around him tighter as the frosty air hit the water on his body and caused him to shiver in earnest now. He would have to get back in the water once more so he could make his way to the shore. He had to focus on survival right now. He couldn't think about the fact that he had no idea where he was.

Twenty very long minutes later he climbed back out of the water and onto the icy shore, shaking even worse than before. He was glad that he'd paid a little extra before leaving Hammerfell to get the waterproof knapsack. He walked away from the shore as he spotted a few trees and figured he should make a fire to get himself warm. The wind whipped around, slapping the frozen hair strands against his face, but he managed to shuffle to the trees and find some dead twigs on the snow covered ground. He jerkily picked up the wood and piled it together. He took off his knapsack and ruffled through it, all the while shivering wildly, until he found what he was looking for. His tinderbox. Lucky for him it was still in there and wasn't wet. It took several tries, but he finally managed to catch the twigs on fire.

Once he felt the warmth start to build, he searched around until he found a few larger branches that would work as firewood, not just kindling. He broke them up with his feet and hands, then laid two on the fire he'd made. After that was done, he realized that he needed to get out of his wet clothes. Quickly. He stripped down and went back to his sack again and grabbed his change of clothes from inside. It took him a couple minutes, but he finally finished dressing. Hugging himself tightly to keep warm, he looked around and wondered where he was and if anyone even lived out here that might be able to help him. Without knowing the area, Helgrim was at a complete loss. He sat down beside his fire and contemplated his dilemma.

His eyes began to drift shut as he stared at the fire and he stopped feeling cold. It should have been a clue that something was not entirely right, but all he could think about was the fact that he wasn't cold anymore. While he sat on a cold rock, arms crossed in front of him, his head dipped and he fell asleep. Had he been fully in control of his wits, he would have known not to fall asleep, but surviving a shipwreck was something that one couldn't control. He remained this way until his body nearly fell forward into the fire and jolted him awake. He shook his head and got to his feet once again. By now he could see the light of dawn rising in the sky. That would be good for him, he hoped. It was usually warmer during the day. He walked toward a tree and urinated, then washed his face with some snow. He had taken a few trips during his childhood and one of them had been to the mountains in High Rock. While it wasn't like this as far as having snow everywhere, it still had some snow. He at least knew what snow was. He also knew, because of his parents' teachings, that snow and the areas that were full of snow could be very cold and dangerous.

His stomach rumbled and he realized just how hungry he was. As if on cue, his mouth went dry as well. With an "oh well" smile on his face, he bent down and picked up a handful of snow and ate it. It melted in his mouth and he sighed. This would help, at least, he thought. After a few more mouthfuls of snow, he moved to his backpack and dug into it to find the jerky he'd hurriedly packed before the shipwreck. He sat down on the rock again and chewed on it slowly. The fire had died down to just coals and so he placed more twigs onto it to restart the fire. Once it was going well enough, he put another few pieces of wood on top. It would help keep the chill off for a little while. He saw to his drink needs, he saw to his food needs, now he needed to tend to the issue of being lost. He would have to find his way to Kynesgrove, his home village. He still had family living there and they could give him a place to stay until he could get a place of his own. Provided he survived the war.

The morning was bleak. With little to do and little urge to go too far from the fire, he found himself falling asleep again and again. Each time, he jolted awake at the last moment and felt refreshed. He got to thinking that perhaps he should explore the shoreline a bit. Who knows, he might end up finding a hunter or fisherman. Someone who lived here could tell him where he was and how to get to Kynesgrove. It would help him stay awake if nothing else. After the fifth time falling asleep and waking up, he packed his backpack again and kicked the fire out. Then he stuffed twigs and branches that were easy to carry into his backpack, put it on and headed along the shore in the search of, well, anyone.  
Two hours later he held the branch in his hand like a club and walked carefully. He was already shivering with the loss of the fire's warmth, but willed himself to go on. He'd had to put down two wolves and something that looked like a seal with badly overgrown front teeth, a creature that he would come to find out later was called a horker. His entire body felt like it was being stepped on with each step he made, sore from his shipwreck ordeal and being in the frozen water. When he made it to a village, he didn't care where it was, he was taking a few days to rest up before moving on. He was lucky, however, in being able to harvest some of the meat, teeth, tusks and furs from the animals. If he made it to a decent stopping point, he'd be able to make a nice meal he surmised. For now, however, he continued to walk carefully, ready to bash the heads of those that wish to kill and eat him. He understood enough to know they were just acting on instincts. He was an interloper here and they were just showing their displeasure at that fact.

The cold was perhaps the worst and he realized now that it was something his parents could never have prepared him for. Without emerging yourself in it there is no way you could. Not effectively. As he huddled into the warmest clothes he was able to get together before leaving Hammerfell, he thought of home and his family. He missed them dearly and wished he could send a message to them, but since he had yet to find a village and a courier, there was little chance of that happening anytime soon. He remembered days of running through the sand on the warm beach in Gilane as a child. Barefoot and wearing just a loincloth for swimming in, he was nearly as dark as some of the Redguard because he had spent so much time outside in the sun. He had become a superb swimmer. Growing up living near the beach did wonders for him and was probably in part what saved his life when the ship wrecked off the coast here. He had been able to find a pocket of air and regain his wits. If he had panicked and let it gain control, he would have surely drowned and been gone. Though, he did wonder if surviving was the correct choice. He was feeling very lost and alone. He had no idea where he was or where he would find a town or even if he would be able to fight off the next thing that came after him as he traveled. He just made himself keep going, for his family and for himself.

When it began to get dark, Helgrim stopped walking and searched for a spot to spend the night. He found a small grove of trees and figured it would do, so he made his way over there and cleared a spot about five feet from the trees and started to build his fire. He knew enough to know that a fire was the more important thing right now. Warmth, and he would be able to cook the meat he had gotten off the animals that had attacked him earlier that day. A fine meal for someone who needed to use the land to survive right now. He put his backpack down and started to pile the twigs up, then he dug out his tinderbox and started to strike it to get a fire going. Once the twigs were caught he put a couple short branches on the small fire. He waited until they caught fire and then sat back and held his hands up to warm them. He shivered and looked around. It was already turning dark and getting very cold.

He must have dozed off because when he opened his eyes again it was even colder and he saw why. The fire had died down to just coals. He growled under his breath as he once more got the fire going so he would be warm. He scooped up some of the snow and ate it, closing his eyes as he felt it melt in his mouth and go down his throat. It was a very nice feeling to know that he would at least always have water. Now that the fire was going again, he dug into his backpack and pulled out the meat that he had wrapped in the furs to keep the blood from soaking everything inside. He unwrapped it and found a sturdy stick, stuck it through the meat, stuck the other end of the stick into the snow so the meat was over the fire. He would just have to wait now until the meat was ready, then he could eat his well earned meal. Once that was going, Helgrim leaned back again and dug into the sack once more. He pulled out a journal and a piece of charcoal, then started to write about his rough start in Skyrim. He began with the shipwreck, writing about how afraid he had been that he wouldn't make it out. He wrote about his first hours on the shore of Skyrim and how he'd needed to build a fire and strip out of his wet clothes in the freezing cold. He then wrote about his travel from that first camp to this one, the wolves and horker that he'd had to kill to survive. Writing it all down made Helgrim feel better about it all. At least if something happened to him, someone would know who he was and where he came from. Someone could get his journal back to his family and give them closure.

When the meat was done cooking, he moved it from over the fire to over the snow and waited for it to cool down. He was so hungry that he supposed anything would have tasted good then, but to him the meal was one of the best he'd ever had. As he ate, he looked up into the sky and was amazed. He'd seen the stars in Hammerfell, of course, but here... Well, the stars just seemed brighter somehow. He took a deep breath and then sent a prayer up to Talos, thanking him for the protection and asking that it continue. He also sent a small prayer to his sister, Kenna, to whom he had promised that he would be looking at the same stars when she was. Knowing that she was undoubtedly looking up at the skies every night hoping to see him made his eyes water a bit, but there was little he could do about that. He felt the right thing to do was come to Skyrim to fight for their people's freedom. He hadn't expected to shipwreck and get lost. No one ever does. As he fell asleep that night, his thoughts were on Kenna and the rest of his family, especially his love, Eir.

He'd met Eir when he was just a lad of eight years old. His father had been laid up for a while due to injury and couldn't work, so Helgrim had decided to look for a job. What he found was a blacksmith that was looking for an apprentice. That first day had been the hardest. He had used muscles that hadn't been used before and the blacksmith hadn't exactly been easy on him either. It had been a test, of sorts, and he had passed. Since that day he had worked for the man, from sun up to sun down he worked the forge from Morndas to Loredas. Sundas was reserved for worshiping Talos with his family. He still remembered the day he met her for the first time, too. He had been working at her father's forge for a week and a half. He was headed home after a long day and just as he turned the corner of the shop ran smack into someone. He stumbled back and reached for the other person, finding their arm. He lifted his head and saw her. She was only six at the time and wore a very nice light red dress. He smiled and then helped to brush off the grime of the forge from her dress.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"It's alight. I ain't hurt," she answered as she stepped back and put a distance between them.

"No, no. I shoulda been watchin. Did I get ya dirty?"

"No, ya didn't. Hey, yer the one helpin Papa. I'm Eir."

"Nice to meet ya, Eir. I'm Helgrim, but ya can call me Grim if ya wanna."

"Alight, Grim. Well, I gotta go. Bye!"

Helgrim had waved as she walked around him and then hurried in the direction she was heading when they had collided. It was from that day that he had developed a soft spot for Eir and it only grew as they aged. When he was twelve and she was ten, he took her to the springs. Their parents didn't know or they would never have let them go. The springs were not a place children went. Helgrim held her hand as he helped her climb the rocks to get there. As they reached the top and looked down he started to understand why children didn't come here. Helgrim held Eir's hand as they both watched a couple in the water, writhing in what looked like pain.

"What do ya spose it is, Grim? Ya think the water's too hot?" Eir asked him softly, keeping her voice at a whisper.

"I dunno, Eir. They ain't gettin outta the water, but they're makin a lotta noise. Maybe they're stuck?" he answered her in the same whisper.

"They are movin round too much to be stuck," Eir said and he had to admit that she had a point there. Before either of them could say anything else, the couple separated. The woman then knelt and leaned forward on her hands and the man came at her from behind.

"Eir, we should go," he told her, turning her around. He knew enough to know what they were doing now. He'd seen several animals mate this way and understood now why children weren't allowed up here.

"I don't wanna go, though. I wanna make sure they're alright."

"They're fine, Eir. Remember Danmar this spring? We saw her stuck to another dog, then a little later she had pups?"

"I remember, what's that gotta do with th... Oh. Yeah, let's get outta here." Eir took his hand and let him help her back down the rocks.

Helgrim may have only been twelve at the time, but he had seen enough to give him pleasant dreams for several weeks. After that he made sure to be more careful where he and Eir hung out. No need to have her see more than she should. She would grow to be a woman, after all. He didn't want her to be afraid of sex like so many turned out to be during these times. When he was sixteen and she was fourteen Helgrim took Eir on a trail ride. He'd been allowed the use of two wagon horses that were in to get new shoes and arranged a trip with Eir. They were both accomplished riders, having been around horses since they were little, so it wasn't a horrible thing. Helgrim intended this to be their first date and he wanted it to be memorable. She had been so happy when she heard they were taking a ride that day and chattered along the way. He loved to listen to her talk so he didn't mind that she did so almost the entire way. He smiled and then pulled them up when they reached the clearing. He dismounted and then turned to help her, but she was already on the ground.

"Oh, I forgot. You like to do things on your own," he teased.

"Ha, ha. Come on, Grim. Let's sit for a while and let the horses graze."

She took his hand and walked further into the clearing. He held her hand, not letting it go, because he liked it. He liked her. They moved a few more steps into the grass and he stopped, turned her toward him and looked into her eyes. Before she could say anything, he lowered his head to hers and kissed her. His lips claimed hers softly, his arms holding her close to his body. As he kissed her, his tongue ran along her lips and shocked her enough that she opened her mouth as well. Then he touched his tongue to hers and felt the sparks rise between them. It was her who growled softly and pulled him closer, snugging his excited groin right to her. His heart was pounding in his ears and his mouth mated with hers, tongues dancing together. After a few minutes, they both pulled back and looked at one another, their chests rising and falling with the intensity there.

"That was..." Eir said, placing a hand upon her slightly swollen lips.

"I'm sorry, I just... Well, I've wanted to do that for a while now and..."

"Grim, shut up and kiss me again," Eir said with a sultry smile.

He chuckled and then swept her up in his arms, laid on her on the soft grass and kissed her again. Deeply, tenderly, passionately. He had finally taken the plunge and shown his feelings for a woman and she had shown them right back. His arousal was evident, but he did his best to keep it off her so she wouldn't get scared. He moved from her lips to her earlobe, then her neck, kissing and suckling softly. He was very careful in his attentions, always keeping his hands from roaming over her body which had grown over the last two years. His nighttime dreams of the woman in the springs had been replaced by thoughts and fantasies of Eir in those positions beneath him. Just thinking about them now nearly caused him to come undone in his clothes. That would have been embarrassing, so he attempted to tamp it down. He wasn't about to ruin her, he just wanted to kiss her. To hold her in his arms for a while before they needed to return to life back home. After a while, the two of them sat together in the grass, just holding one another. Eir dozed in the sunlight and felt comforted. This was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. At least until he heard about the trouble in Skyrim. He promised Eir he would return for her, however.

The thoughts of Eir and memories of their time together had given Helgrim a night of rest, but in the morning he woke up shivering and teeth chattering. He had been in such a deep sleep that he hadn't realized the fire had gone out. He was now paying for that mistake. He couldn't feel his feet and his hands were going numb. Knowing that it wasn't good that he couldn't feel parts of his body at all he sat up and looked at the bloody furs. He needed to get them dried so he could at least use them as a blanket of sorts. With that in mind, he decided to stay at his camp for the day. If his feet were frostbitten, he shouldn't be walking anyway. He got the fire going again and sat until the warmth began to thaw out his hands and the rest of his body. Holding his feet up, he let them get a little feeling back before getting up and gathering branches. He was glad that he'd had the thought to bring leather strips with him on this trip, to tie back his hair or anything that might have needed fixing. They'd also survived the wreck. Once he made a makeshift tanning rack, he stretched the wolf fur over it to dry. Then he grabbed a dagger that he'd taken from one of the dead sailors and began to scrape the hide. It would take several days for the hide to dry, but at least then he would have a blanket. As he worked on the furs, he warmed the leftover meat over the fire and ate that, scooped more snow for water and rested. He discovered he could use the horker tusks as well by using the dagger to shave the ivory into a spearhead. After this, he fashioned a spear using the horker spearhead and a long, straight branch and more of his leather strips to lash the spearhead to the branch. He wasn't right on the shore, but he was within decent walking distance and could go fishing there if he needed to. With a spear, it would help with hunting also. He would survive this.

Helgrim stayed where he was for the next week, each day he would write in his journal about what he had done that day, mostly just to know how many days had passed so he was not entirely adrift in the world. The first hide had dried and was used as a blanket at night and the second hide was nearly finished drying. Perhaps he would be able to take them to a furrier and get it made into a proper blanket to remember his journey, but for now he would do with what he had, which wasn't a lot when you thought about it. At least he was a lot warmer at night when the temperatures dipped below freezing. The days weren't much better, especially if a storm came in. It had done that a few days ago. He'd woken up to the snow piling around him. Unsure of what else to do, though, he remained where he was and huddled into the fur which had just come off the rack at the time. He was almost sick with the smell, but he dealt with it. It would be better to be sick than dead, he reasoned. He wasn't sure how, but he had fallen back to sleep during the storm and when he awoke again he was buried in the snow. This had shown him that although the snow could be cold, if you covered yourself with it, you could almost make a "hole" in which to huddle in and keep warm. That morning he dug down in the snow using the other horker tusk he had and made himself a little hole in the snow where he could lie down at night, out of the cold wind and away from any snow storms that might arise. With the fire right outside the hole, it gave him the heat he needed. Now that the second fur was almost done, he could use that to lie on and have the other fur on top of his body. These used together with the fire would surely keep him warm.  
When he had been at the site for eight days he awoke in the morning and decided it was time to move on. He needed to find a town. He had to get warmer clothes, more food and directions to Kynesgrove. He wasn't sure where the ship wrecked, just that it was past Solitude. He had stayed on the ship while they had delivered goods there, not wanting to get off and meet up with any Imperial soldiers. He wouldn't have been able to control himself, he knew, so he had remained. After that, they had sailed onward. He was bound for Windhelm, as that was where Ulfric, the Jarl of Windhelm, lived. It was also in the right direction. Kynesgrove wasn't too far from there, if his parents were to be believed and he did. He remembered that the captain had said they would dock at Dawnstar briefly to exchange goods on the dock, then sail on. They never made it to Dawnstar, however. The storm hit and that was that. Perhaps he was near that place. He had to believe that Talos was guiding him. Otherwise, what else did he have to believe in. He had faith and his faith would get him through this. It would get him back home.

He packed his bag once more and looked at the last strip of meat that he had cooked last night. It hadn't tasted that great and he knew that it had gone bad. However, he also knew it could be used as bait. He wrapped it in a small piece of clothing and stuck it into a pouch on the bag. He was taught never to waste anything and he wasn't about to start now, especially since every little bit can help in his situation. Huddling into the fur that he was wearing as a cloak, he packed the other fur into his backpack to be used later. He made sure not to forget his horker tusk snow shovel nor his horker spear. He attached the spear to the backpack with the little bits of leather strips he still had. After making sure his extra clothes, which had dried finally, were packed away and breaking down the tanning rack and stowing the leather strips used, he kicked the fire out and covered it with snow. Then he put the backpack on and looked out at the dawning sky. A moment later he had started to walk.

Walking in the snow by one's self wasn't really that great. It was very boring and tiring. A lot of times he wanted to sit down and sleep, but he couldn't do that. If he did, he would surely freeze and then he'd never get home. It was that thought that made him walk on. More than once his mind had wandered and he began to talk to himself. Though to be honest he wasn't really talking to himself, he would be talking to Talos. It was as if he could actually one day meet the god that was once a mortal man. Perhaps when he went to Sovngarde he would be able to sit down and have a chat with him. For now, however, he had to focus on what was important. Survival.

As he traveled near a game trail, he decided to attempt to catch his meal for when he stopped that night. He set about making a snare out of thin branches that were green and flexible and his leather strips. Once he had it set, he placed it in such a way that the rabbit would simply walk through it and be caught. Then he found himself a tree to climb to wait. He had learned snaring skills when he was ten years old and went hunting with his father. His father was one of the best hunters around and had taught each of his kids, even the girls, how to shoot a bow with the accuracy to hit a rabbit from two hundred yards away. He could sneak up on deer and had even watched his father take down a grizzly bear before. He hadn't been allowed on that hunt, but had gone anyway. He couldn't help it. He heard that his father was going after a bear and asked to go, but his father told him that he was too young to go, which was true since he was only eleven years old at the time, but he had still wanted to go. So badly that he had gone anyway. Though he had stayed hidden. His father had taken the bear down with three shots from almost three hundred yards away.

Helgrim had never planned on being a hunter, but now that he had been taught, he was very glad for the skill set. Especially now as he watched a rabbit on the game trail heading straight for his hidden snare. He remained still and held his breath until the snare tightened around the animal's neck. He let out his breath and then slowly descended from the tree. When his feet touched the ground, he used the spear to put the rabbit out of its misery and then tied it to his backpack. At least he would have a meal that night and gloves, too, if he skinned the rabbit right. He dismantled the snare and put his leather away, then stood up and looked around. There was still another hour or so of daylight left. Too early to stop for the night. He needed to get as far as he could before stopping.

Turning to head back to the "trail" he was walking along, he heard the crunch of footsteps on snow approaching. Sneering at his bad luck, he thought quickly and made his way back up the tree he'd waited for the rabbit in. He stayed still and watched as a small group of Imperial soldiers walked near, crashing through the brush without a care as to the natural world. Typical, he thought. There was one in the front, another behind them with one bringing up the rear, but in between the second and third soldier was a man in rags with hands bound in front of him. The soldier in the back was pushing the man repeatedly. This caused Helgrim's eyes to narrow and he fingered the spear in his hand with an urge to bury it into the soldier's skull. Carefully, slowly, he reached into the backpack until he found the dagger he'd been using to tan the hides of the furs he had gotten. It would work just as well as a weapon. He saw the man stop and try to fight back after being pushed again, only to be ganged up by both the second and third soldier, the first soldier watching. This just ticked him off!

As they passed by his tree, he dropped down on the second soldier, the dagger already buried into the soldier's neck. He pulled it out just as quickly and stepped away, tossed the spear to the man in rags and dodged to the right to avoid the first soldier's sword. Deftly, he moved in with the dagger and caught the guard in the armpit, an area not protected by their stupid armor. He twisted the knife before pulling it back out and stepping away from the man. By this time, the man in rags had gotten himself free and used the spear to skewer the third soldier. Helgrim was impressed by the man and smiled, righting himself and wiping the dagger off on his clothes.

"Name's Helgrim," he said as he offered his hand to the man.

"Thanks for the help, Helgrim. I'm Fjolnar. If it wasn't for you I think I would have lost my head today." He had hesitated for a moment before taking Helgrim's hand and shaking it, then handed the spear back to him. "Nice spear."

"You're welcome, Fjolnar, and thanks. I made it."

Helgrim reattached the spear to his backpack after wiping the blood off it. Fjolnar began to search the body of the soldier he had killed and so Helgrim decided it was fair enough. He bent and began to do the same with the second man he had killed. Though he had money from the trip still, he pocketed the coins he found on the soldier as well as any food and drink. He contemplated taking the armor as well, especially if he was going to meet up with anymore of these soldiers, but decided against it. He didn't need to carry the extra weight. He took a sword from the first soldier and a bow and quiver of arrows from the second soldier. They would be useful in his travel.

"So, where are you headed, Helgrim?" Fjolnar asked him after they had both gone over all of the soldiers and got what they needed or wanted.

"I'm not really sure. I'm trying to get to Kynesgrove. Came from Hammerfell, ship wrecked a little over a week ago now. Been walking along the shore, trying to find a village or something. Do you know where I am?"

"Kynesgrove huh? That's a long way off from here. You're about a day's travel from Dawnstar now. It's pretty safe in town, but be careful when you're not in town. I got nabbed on the road out headed to Rorikstead. Those damn Imperials are putting down every Stormcloak they find."

"You're a Stormcloak?" Helgrim's excitement showed through his voice a little bit.

"Aye, I am. I was headed home to Rorikstead for a little time off when those three picked me up. You really saved my life there. Quick thinking. You might think of joining up yourself," Fjolnar patted Helgrim's shoulder as he passed by him.

"I was planning on it, Fjolnar. Thanks. I just need to get home to Kynesgrove first. My cousin is waiting for me. I wasn't even sure where we wrecked because it happened during the night, so I was in my cabin sleeping. You've helped me more than you know."

"Same here, Helgrim. Look, there's not a lot of light left tonight to get to Dawnstar safely, but if you want, I could get you started tomorrow morning, provided you'd share that rabbit you got there." He motioned to the rabbit hanging from Helgrim's backpack.

"Of course. We helped each other. It's only fair to share my food. Come on, let's find camp then," Helgrim said with a small smile, finding being with someone else made the journey less bothersome. Less weary.

He led the way out of the grove and back to the trail he'd been following. It was easier to find camping spots along here. He could use the trees as a windbreak and had the clear area for a fire. As the sun began to dip down they found a spot and started to make camp. The work went much quicker with another set of hands. He started to skin the rabbit, carefully so he could use the hide to make warm gloves, then got another stick and stuck it in the snow over the fire that Fjolnar had made. While that was cooking, he showed his new friend how he discovered it was warmer to sleep when one dug into the snow to make a sort of cave. Once both "beds" were made, they sat down to eat the rabbit which had finished cooking. They talked of little things, how they got to where they are and Fjolnar gave Helgrim an inside look at being a Stormcloak soldier. It made him want to be one all the more. He had enough skills that would make him useful as a scout or even an assassin for the Stormcloak army. He worshiped Talos and wanted the freedom to be able to do so wherever he might be. His parents had told them how it was before and why it had caused them to leave Skyrim. They'd had to worship in secret and if it was ever discovered that you were a worshiper, even your neighbors and friends would turn on you to get on the good side of the Empire.

Helgrim learned that not only had Fjolnar been in a few battles already with the army, he had even earned a command for when he returned to Windhelm. That was part of the reason he was heading home, to wed his sweetheart. It was so bittersweet that Helgrim couldn't help thinking of Eir and if he would ever get to return to Hammerfell to wed her or if he would eventually lose his interest in her. If he would let her go and find someone new. He didn't want to do that. He wanted Eir and only her. They both decided to sleep and said goodnight to one another, then went into their holes. Helgrim had a hard time falling asleep, attributing it to having someone else with him even if it was only for a little while. It was different. He had been alone for so long. His last thoughts before he fell asleep were about Eir and what she would look like with his child in her belly. Those dreams were some of the best he'd ever had.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Helgrim awoke the next morning feeling a tad groggy and cold. He shivered and stuck his head out of the entrance to his snow hole and saw why. Not only had the fire gone out, but a storm had also blown in. Snow whirled around, flying at his face and making him even colder. He pulled the wolf fur around him even more, turning it so the fur side was against him and the tougher hide side would fend off the snow. He slowly came out of the hole and looked around. He couldn't see more than ten feet in front of him because of the snow, but even so he managed to find some twigs and branches and even dead leaves to start a new fire. Then he looked in on Fjolnar. He was surprised to find his friend was gone. The wolf fur was there, but the man was no where to be seen. He was confused, but figured maybe Fjolnar decided it was better for him to leave on his own. He shrugged and went about making a fire. He wanted some warmed up rabbit and a bit of warmth for himself also before he packed up and left.  
It took him almost twenty minutes just to get the fire started, and another ten minutes to get the branches to catch and stay caught. Next time he would have to think of a windbreak to make to keep the fire from being blown out. As he sat there, waiting for the rabbit and his body to warm up, he thought about Fjolnar. Even if it had felt a bit odd to have someone else with him, he had been looking forward to not being alone anymore. When your only companion was the constant cold and the whiteness of the snow with the possible arrival of an animal intent on killing you, the prospect of having someone to travel with seemed a great idea. Shaking his head, he took the rabbit that was left and ate it slowly. Fjolnar had told him he was only a day away from Dawnstar. If he could make it there today, he could perhaps hire a carriage or caravan to take him to Windhelm. From there he surmised he could find his way to Kynesgrove.

After finishing his meal, he packed up the extra wolf fur, keeping the one he was using on for extra warmth and protection from the still falling snow. The rabbit fur would take another day, at least, to dry before he could make the gloves out of it, so he just packed that up in his sack as well. The extra food they had looted off the dead Imperial soldiers he put in there along with his tinderbox, the twigs and branches and the horker tusk. He reattached the spear on the side of the backpack and put the sword belt around his waist and slid the sword into the scabbard. Then he lifted the backpack onto his back and slid the quiver of arrows over his shoulder, carrying the bow. He was packed up and ready to go. Kicking the fire out, he waited until it was cold and no longer smoking before turning and heading off in the direction Fjolnar had told him Dawnstar was last night.

Helgrim walked for most of the day, hoping he was going in the right direction, before he saw signs of civilization ahead of him. He stopped for a moment to make sure it was not just his eyes playing tricks on him, but after determining that it was really what he was seeing, he smiled and walked a little faster. It had been almost two weeks since the shipwreck and the prospect of eating a real meal in a warm inn caused a bounce in his step. He was careful still, however, remembering Fjolnar's words of wisdom about the Imperials picking him up outside of town. He didn't want or need to have an interaction with them right now. He sneaked up to the town slowly, bow at the ready in case anyone tried to stop him. Fortunately, he made it to the town without any trouble and put the arrow back in his quiver and lowered the bow as he walked into Dawnstar.

There was a small stable of horses here and he stopped for a minute to admire the hardiness of the Skyrim horses. They were gorgeous animals, all of them, but heavier in build than the Hammerfell horses he was used to. Those horses were used to go over desert terrain. These, you could tell, were used to going over snow. Their large hooves spread over the ground like snowshoes, he guessed. Shaking his head at his wishful thinking, he turned away. He wouldn't have the money for a horse for some time he gathered. Next to the stable was the inn and while that was the first place he wanted to go, he went further down the street to see what all was here.

Keeping his arms inside the warm fur, he walked along the dirt street that was now mostly covered in snow and passed the inn. He noticed the sign that read Windpeak Inn and stored that away for later. The next building on the street was a two-story one without a sign on the door. Figuring that it was someone's home, he walked onward. The next building was larger than the rest and he noticed there were no signs, but there was a banner on a pole outside, as well as a guard standing beside the stairs that led to a door. There appeared to be some sort of argument going on as he approached. He saw a woman dressed in gear that was very similar, though a tad outdated, to that which the Imperial soldiers that he and Fjolnar had killed wore. Beside her was a man in much the same gear. They were speaking at a man on the stairs who gave the feeling that he was important around here. He stood there, watching and listening, but they finally backed off and the man on the stairs went inside the building. The man and woman turned and walked away down the street. He walked up to the guard.

"Excuse me, sir. What is this building here?"

"This is the White Hall, traveler."

"Who's in charge around here?"

"That would be Jarl Skald the Elder. He's been Jarl since I can remember. Don't be lollygaggin. We have laws to prevent that."

"Thank you. I'll be going now."

Helgrim turned and continued to walk down the street thinking that perhaps he should have just gone to the inn after all. He shook his head and continued on his walk around town. Not too far from the Jarl's hall was the entrance to a mine and outside of it was something he knew all about. A smelter. One person was giving two others orders as he walked by. He heard one of the people getting orders murmuring something, but he didn't have the heart to ask him to repeat it. He guessed that the woman giving orders was something like a slave driver. Helgrim marked this mine on his internal map if he ever decided to take up smithing again. That was an idea that had crossed his mind now that he was actually in town again. He turned a corner and past another house and moved on, down a small hill. Another house on the left and a street leading off the one he was on. He stopped here and looked down that path. He saw a few buildings, but only one of them had a sign and it looked like it might be an alchemist shop. Perhaps he could stop in there later and see if they need any help. That is, if he didn't decide to smith again.

Speaking of which, he heard the familiar clang of metal on metal that he had been living on for the past several years. As he passed by another house, he came to a slightly larger building where off to one side he saw it. The forge. It looked small, but it was beautiful. He hadn't even seen it yet, but he could tell how it looked just by the sounds that came from it. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt the wind come off the inlet, spraying him with sea water. Chilled, he opened his eyes and stared out at the water. The inlet was small, only big enough for one ship to dock, but he noticed there was one sitting there, though it didn't look ready to go anywhere anytime soon. Shaking unconsciously, he spotted what looked like another mine entrance. Two mines in the same town? Perhaps there was more to this than met the eye. Helgrim grabbed for his belt and pulled up his money pouch. He opened it carefully and quickly counted the coins. He might have had enough to stay at the inn for a night or two, but he guessed it wouldn't get him to Kynesgrove. He walked to the blacksmith shop and up onto the porch.  
Helgrim watched for a moment as a man and woman spoke to one another. They appeared to be in love with each other, though he was a Nord and she was a Redguard. This gave him hope as he could have been looking at him and Eir in the future. He wasn't blind and noticed the way the woman touched her belly. Surely she was pregnant. Ah, that gave him pause to think about Eir carrying their child. A moment later he realized the man was speaking to him and he hadn't heard a word he'd said.

"I'm sorry, you caught me daydreaming."

"I said is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, well, I just arrived into town."

"I gathered that. Ain't seen you around before. Do you need a blade?"

"Actually, I was kind of hoping you might need some help around the forge?"

"I don't know. My wife Seren and I both work the forge, so I ain't sure we need another hand."

"I was apprenticed at a blacksmith in Hammerfell for ten years. If I hadn't decided to take this trip to Skyrim I wouldn't have been an apprentice much longer."

"Well, I have to admit, having someone experienced is a plus. At least I wouldn't have to train you. Hammerfell huh?"

"Hammerfell? What part?" the man's wife, Seren, asked.

"I grew up in Gilane, ma'am. My family still resides there. I'm Helgrim Frost-Blood." He held out his hand to first the man, then the woman.

"Rustleif and this is my wife, Seren." They both shook his hand. "We can discuss pay, but you're hired. Can you start now?"

"All I have is what is on me, sir."

"Rustleif, please. I ain't no sir."

"Rustleif then. I can start right away. Thank you for the opportunity."

"You're welcome. Now, here. See what you can do with that. Jod said he needed it repaired yesterday, so I guess that means he wants it done quickly."

Helgrim smiled, took the breastplate and turned to the forge. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the hammer and just felt the weight of it in his hand. It had been a little over a month since he last held a smith hammer. It felt good to hold one again. He stepped closer to the forge and began to heat the metal up before taking it to the anvil to pound with the hammer. His mind already on the work at hand, he didn't even care that they hadn't agreed on a fee. As he worked on the breastplate, his mind wandered to Eir, as it often did. He thought of how he would return home to her, bearing glory and riches from his travels and his time with the Stormcloak army. He would go to her and take a knee, then ask her to marry him. She would say yes, of course, and they would be wed in the local temple. Perhaps they would honeymoon on the Summerset Isles. She would carry his children and they would live long, healthy lives together.

He was brought back to the present when the hammer missed the metal he was pounding and struck his hand instead. Helgrim held in his yelp, but gasped with the pain. He called himself a dolt for such a rookie mistake that he stopped daydreaming of Eir and their future and focused on the work at hand. He wanted to show Rustleif and Seren that he was worthy of their time and money. His craftsmanship would be wanted and he could give the couple some time off to get ready for their child. At least, that is part of what Helgrim hoped he could do for them. They seemed like decent people and deserved it.

By the time the sun started to dip behind the buildings, he felt the soreness in his muscles after not using them in several weeks and the stress of the shipwreck and subsequent traveling in the cold to Dawnstar. However, the breastplate was finished and looking very nice indeed. As Rustleif looked it over, Helgrim stood back, waiting for the man's thoughts on his work.

"Ah, this is very fine work. I like what you did here."

"Thanks Rustleif. It means a lot to me to hear that." Rustleif reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch of coins. He tossed them to Helgrim, who caught it easily.

"It's the truth. You have work here any time you need it."

"Thanks." Helgrim shook the man's hand and then left the blacksmith and his wife.

He headed back up the hill toward the inn and climbed the steps. He looked out once more at the darkening skies and sighed. One day he would get back home, but for now, he would have to do what he could to survive. Even if that meant mining. For now, however, he could get somewhere at least to hire a carriage or find a caravan that was headed in the direction he needed to go in. After a good night's rest, that is. He entered the inn and paused for a moment, looking around and letting his eyes get used to the dimmer lighting. Then he made his way further into the establishment and stood near the open fire pit to warm up. It was a welcome thing after his nine days in the cold wilderness. Taking the pack off his back, he then removed the fur he wore and stowed that in the backpack as well. There was little need for it in here.

Helgrim surveyed the scene as he warmed himself by the fire. A man stood behind the counter looking weary, but alert. There was a young lady with a lute strumming lovely music. She appeared to be near seventeen years of age, possibly eighteen. Also in the inn was a man who seemed to be a priest of some sort, though he could tell he wasn't a Talos priest. He knew what they looked like and this man didn't look quite like that. His parents hadn't lied about the banishment of Talos from worship, it seemed. Clearing tables was another woman that was older than the bard, but not as old as his mother. She might have been in her early twenties. They seemed like nice people, no one had chased him away from the fire, so that was a good thing. He would be able to find a warm meal, a dry bed and shelter that wasn't in the snow tonight. That was more than he could ask for right now. He made his way to the bar after he was warmed up sufficiently.

"Good evening. What can I do for you?" the man standing behind the counter asked him.

"Aye, good evening. I'm looking for a room for the night."

"Good, good. I've got a room available. That'll be ten gold pieces." Helgrim counted out the coins and gave them to the man. "Here, I'll show you to your room."

He watched as the man came around the bar and walked past him. He turned and followed him toward a room where the man stopped.

"Here you go. My name's Thoring. If there's anything you need, just ask. My daughter, Karita, and my servant-girl, Abelone, are also available if I'm busy. Have a good night."

"Thank you, Thoring. It's been a while since I've had a bed to sleep in. I'm rather looking forward to it."

The man nodded and turned, heading back to the bar. Helgrim smiled and then went into the room and shut the door. He set the backpack in the chair and sat down on the bed. Luckily there was a pitcher of water and a bowl in here so he could wash up a little. He stank from first being on a trip for almost a month, then being in the shipwreck, then the walking and camping in the snow, not to mention the killing and skinning of animals and the rescue of a Stormcloak soldier. He would have to get new clothes at some point as well. The ones he wore would be best thrown out or burned and the ones in his sack really weren't that much better. He figured he might have to stay in Dawnstar longer than he thought. To be able to purchase new clothes and passage to Windhelm it would take more than the meager forty three gold pieces he was left with now. He shook his head and took off all of his clothes, set them aside and slid into the bed. He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, then sent a prayer to Talos to thank him for the things that had happened to him that day. The blacksmith, the inn, the entire town. He was grateful.

Helgrim awoke in the morning without the groggy feeling he'd started to grow accustomed to while in the wilderness. He stretched, washed up a little and put his other clothes on. He didn't see a clothier in town during his little walk-through the previous day. If he was going to get new clothes he would have to make them himself or travel to a different town and get them. He was unsure of the layout of the land, so he opted to keep these clothes and just get them washed. He needed to stay in town working for Rustleif for a little longer before traveling onward. Once he was dressed, he repacked everything that he could into his backpack and put it on along with the quiver and the sword belt. Then he grabbed up the bow and his dirty clothes and headed out of the room. As he stepped out of the room, he nearly collided with a young woman. He stopped short and gasped, then stepped back.

"Oh, I'm sorry, miss."

"Oh, it's alright. Morning, I'm Abelone." She held out her hand for him, but upon seeing that his own hands were full, drew hers back and let it fall to her side. "Looks like you've got some clothes that need washing. I can get that done for you. Only cost you two gold pieces."

"Abelone." Helgrim hesitated for a moment, but decided that at least he wouldn't have to do it. He nodded and handed her the gold and his clothes. "Thank you very much."

"Not a problem. They'll be ready by dinner time tonight." She gave him a wink and then moved off.  
Helgrim watched for a moment and then shook his head. He told himself that he shouldn't be looking at other women that way. He had Eir. A deep breath and he wrapped the wolf fur around him again. He was on his way to see Rustleif about work that day. If he didn't have anything for him to do, Helgrim supposed that he could spend a day or two in the mines and collect enough ore to sell and make money off. He disliked mining, but he would do it to get the money he needed. He headed to a table and was pleased to see a breakfast was laid out already. Bread and cheese with a mug of mead. Such a simple meal, but one that Helgrim appreciated very much. It had been so long since he'd had real food that he wasn't sure that it was in fact real. He ate quietly, thanking Karita and giving her the six gold for the meal with another two gold extra for her music during it. Once he had eaten and finished the mead, he left the inn to head back down the hill to the blacksmith shop.

The rest of his day was spent hammering iron and steel into swords and shields. It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world, but it was a job that needed to be done. Plus, he got paid for doing it. Tomorrow, however, he would have to start mining for a while. He had discovered while working at the forge today that if he mined the ore, he could then sell it back to the mine owners and make a profit. That was something he very much wanted and so he had decided that he would see how it went the next day. If it was indeed profitable he might continue doing that until he could earn enough to get to Windhelm. He had also inquired at the stable to see how much the mounts were and found that they were one thousand gold pieces each. At times during his hammering and pounding he wondered if he could earn enough to purchase a horse. Then he could ride to Windhelm himself and wouldn't need to hire a carriage to take him.

When the day was finished, he thanked Rustleif and Seren once more and said farewell before heading up the hill to Windpeak Inn again. He barely stepped inside the door when Abelone came up to him, his freshly folded clothes in her hands. Helgrim stopped short to avoid running into her and raised a brow at her. She seemed very pleased to be giving his clothes back to him. In fact, she seemed very pleased to be seeing him again. He cleared his throat and stepped aside and took the clothes from her.

"Thank you, Abelone. I will save these to wear after tomorrow. I plan on going into the mines."

"Oh! Yes, you probably wouldn't want to wear your nice clean clothes to go in the mines." Helgrim could see her blushing, though he couldn't truly understand why. He hadn't said anything to elicit such a response. At least he hadn't thought so.

"I think I'll just go sit in my room for a little while. Thanks again, Abelone."

"Of course Helgrim. Anytime. I can even wash the clothes you're wearing. Uh, I mean uh, after you work in the mines, that is." She blushed again and quickly excused herself, running off to clear off a table for a patron that had just entered.

Helgrim shook his head and took his clothes into his room and packed them into his backpack. He checked on the rabbit fur to make sure it was drying and found it ready to be used to make his gloves. It gave him an excuse to stay in his room and away from Abelone. That woman came off very strong. Perhaps there weren't that many eligible men in this town, but that was still no reason to throw oneself at every available man that walked in the door. For the rest of the night he worked on the gloves and slept when he was too tired to stitch them anymore. He climbed into bed with his clothes on, afraid Abelone would enter his room and steal them away whilst he slept. He awoke in the morning feeling very hungry and it was only then that he realized that he had not eaten the previous night. The woman had thrown him off enough that he hadn't even wanted to leave his room for food and drink. He laughed about it now, but knew he needed to eat before his stomach jumped out of his body.

He washed up a little and then checked on his rabbit gloves. They were nearly done. Perhaps after one more night of working on them they would be ready. Then he would be able to walk in the snow without freezing his hands to the bone. That would be a plus. He left the room and went to a table to eat. Karita brought him his breakfast and he thanked her, then began to eat quietly. He noticed a couple other miners in the inn getting breakfast as well and nodded to them. He would go to the Iron-Breaker Mine first, as that one seemed much more profitable in his talk with the townsfolk. After that he would switch over to the rival mine, Quicksilver Mine. If he worked it right, he just might earn a nice little purse of coin today. Probably not enough to get a horse, but a fair way there.

He went back to his room after his breakfast, grabbed his wolf fur and put it around his shoulders as he headed outside. He saw off to his left that Abelone was chopping wood and he hurried to head off down toward the mine before she saw him. He passed what he had discovered was the barracks and the Jarl's home before reaching the Iron-Breaker Mine. He noticed there were no workers outside the entrance and figured they were all inside. He grabbed a pickaxe and headed into the mine. Once inside, he set his fur on a chair and found a spot to mine the ore. This mine was full of pockets of iron and so he spent the day hacking away at the rocks for the bits of iron ore. At lunch, he sat with the two of the other miners, Gjak and Bodil, and ate half a loaf of bread and drank a mug of ale. Gjak and Bodil were great conversationalists and he could tell that they had been working down here together for some time. It was as if they were family, though he knew they weren't. After lunch, they all went back to work in a different area. A few times Helgrim stopped mining just to listen to the sounds of the pickaxes clinking away on the rocks from the others. It gave him a sense that he was doing something for the greater good. Though in reality he probably wasn't. This mine was owned by Beitild and from what he heard from the others she was a ball-breaking hard ass bitch. She had been married to the owner of the other mine in town, Leigelf, at one point, but it was not a good marriage. Some people, he surmised, were just not made for marriage. Fortunately, he didn't believe that he was one of them. He looked forward to it, just as soon as he was finished here in Skyrim.

He finished the day with a cart full of iron ore that he brought out of the mine and waited in line to reach Beitild. Once he did, she looked him up and down, deemed him capable, and accepted his cart full of ore. She handed him a pouch full of coin and he took it, leaving the cart behind. He would wait until he was in his room to count it. No sense in doing so out in the open, after all. He was sore, but it was a good thing. He would eventually have the money that he needed to leave the town. For now, however, he would have to pick up work wherever he found it. When he got to the inn again he was careful to avoid Abelone. Unfortunately, he didn't see her outside so that meant she was inside. He sighed and steeled himself, then entered the building. A quick look around showed that she was tending to another customer. He moved past her and into his room, shutting the door behind him. He leaned back on the door and sighed. Never before had he had to actually avoid another person before. He didn't like it, but it was necessary.

Helgrim went to his bed and sat on it. Only now did he open the pouch of gold he'd gotten from Beitild to see how much she had paid him. He counted the coins and was pleasantly surprised. She had paid him a total of forty gold for a days work. Though his muscles were sore as ever, it was a good price. He wasn't even hungry tonight. Probably because he had shared lunch with Gjak and Bodil. He leaned back in the bed so that his back was against the wall and worked on his gloves until they were finished, then he undressed and went to sleep. His dreams were full of Eir and his family. He missed them all very much and when he woke in the morning, thoughts of them all still fresh in his mind, he decided he would write them all and send a courier with the news of where he was. He would leave out the fact that he had shipwrecked, though. His mother would worry unnecessarily and his father would be stuck dealing with her. It took him all of ten minutes to write letters to Eir, her father, his mother, his father and his siblings.

With the new day, he decided to try his luck with mining again. If nothing else, he could at least pay for his stay at the inn with the mining money. He sent the letters out via a courier and went into Iron-Breaker Mine once more. He spent the day cutting out iron ore and filling his cart. Just like the day before, he ate lunch with Gjak and Bodil, finding them to be more companionable than Karl and Irgnir. This time, before he went back to the inn for the night, he stopped by to see Rustleif and Seren to catch up. He had come to like the couple and enjoyed a home-cooked meal at Seren's insistence. He thanked them both very much afterward and went back up the hill to the inn. When he walked in, Abelone must have gotten the hint because she simply gave him a glare and left him alone. He shrugged and then went into his room. He counted the money and again found forty gold coins. That made eighty gold in two days, and that didn't include the thirty he had previously and the twenty he earned at the blacksmith shop. He now had a grand total of one hundred and thirty gold.

Helgrim had an easy night of sleep and when he awoke in the morning, he felt much improved. Already he could feel the new muscles forming and his current muscles firming. He was not a scrawny man to begin with and all this labor was sure to give him an even larger intimidating figure. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage at a later date. Now, however, he was interested in locating his breakfast before he headed back to the mines again. As he laid in bed the previous night he decided that he would want to earn enough money to purchase a horse before leaving town and then some for traveling expenses. As he dressed and left his room, he walked to Thoring and handed him another ten gold pieces. They chatted for a few moments about the rumors about town and then he sat down at a table and smiled at Karita when she brought his breakfast to him. A few pleasantries later, he turned back to his meal and began to eat quickly but quietly. He wasn't a man who liked to draw unnecessary attention. Luckily for him Abelone hadn't arrived for work yet.

After breakfast, he grabbed his wolf fur and put it around his shoulders then left the inn. He spent the day at the Iron-Breaker Mine, picking away at the rocks to earn his forty gold pieces. At lunch, he talked with Gjak and Bodil about money making opportunities. They told him if he was feeling adventurous that he might stop in at The Mortar and Pestle and speak to the widow, Frida. Word around town is that she was always talking about the ring her husband was looking for and wishing she was younger so she could retrieve it. Helgrim thanked his friends for the information and decided that after work he would swing by the shop and talk to the woman. It would take him out of town, but he would have a chance to earn more than thirty or forty gold pieces a day. A man could get rich in some of the old ruins around Skyrim, or so Gjak and Bodil assured him, though they said they had never felt the urge to go adventuring themselves.

As he walked to the shop when the sun began to dip in the sky, he wondered to himself just how adventurous he was exactly. Did he have what it takes to do something like that? He surmised that only time would tell. What did he have to lose by talking to the woman at least? He walked to the door and checked it. It was unlocked and so he went inside. It was dim, so he paused for a moment to let his eyes adjust before stepping further into the room. It definitely smelled like an apothecary, there was no mistaking that. He saw the elderly woman behind the counter and she had a friendly smile on her face.

"Good evening. Come on in. I'm Frida. Can I help you with anything? A potion of virility perhaps?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Good evening. Uh, no, thanks. I'm Helgrim." Helgrim chuckled a but uneasily, then smiled softly at the older woman, deciding to make conversation before getting the the thick of things. "Have you been in Dawnstar long?"

"Pfft. I'm the oldest woman in this town. I was here when Skald the Elder was Skald the Younger. He's a fool, that one. If you haven't met him already, you'd best be prepared. He thinks Ulfric Stormcloak is invincible and spits dragon fire." She shifted position behind the counter slightly and looked him dead in the eyes. "The people here look to Brina Merilis when they need some issue or other settled. A real firebrand going up. I don't think anyone was surprised when she joined the Legion," Frida said with a look in her eye that told Helgrim not to speak ill of Brina Merilis if he knew what was good for him. She worked with potions and poisons. He certainly wanted to stay on her good side.  
"Interesting. No, I've yet to make the Jarl's acquaintance, though I'm not exactly sure I'm the type of person he's used to entertaining." He laughed a little at that thought, then looked over a few items on the counter before turning back to her. "Frida, I'm curious as to how you picked up the herb trade. Was it difficult?"

"Not that difficult, Helgrim. It was my husband. We used to go into the wilds and collect ingredients together. He used to call me his pretty Juniper." She became a little misty eyed after saying this and Helgrim hesitated, almost wanting to tell her it was alright, she didn't need to continue, but then she went on. "It's really quite romantic, if you're an alchemist. Frost took the old fool a few seasons back. He was looking for the Ring of Pure Mixtures." Frida paused here and looked at him, narrowing her eyes as if gauging whether to continue with her tale or not. She must have seen something she liked, because she went on. "I found the ring's resting place after he died, but I'm far too old to go exploring some cave, now." Helgrim smiled a little at this, knowing she was throwing out the line for him to take or not. He tilted his head and scratched his stubbly chin a bit.

"If you'd like, I could find that ring for you, Frida." He saw her face lighten up as he said those words and could see the joy it would bring her if he returned with the ring.

"Well, aren't you sweet? You know, I'd be happy to give you a few alchemy pointers in exchange for the ring if you bring it to me."

"That seems a fair trade. You got yourself a deal, Frida." He held out his hand and they shook on the deal. "So, where's the cave at?"

"I have a rough map somewhere around here." She began to search around for it. "Aha! Here it is. I believe everyone calls it Forsaken Cave, but don't let that get you down, Helgrim. I'm sure it's just a name."

Helgrim took the paper she handed him and looked it over. It was a very rough map, but he was good at navigating so he shouldn't have too hard a time finding it. If Talos guided him well enough he would find it without too much trouble. He gave Frida a smile and thanked her once more before he pocketed the paper and left the shop. With a purpose, he now realized that he would once more be camping in the snow. At least this time he was more prepared. He had a little money that he could purchase supplies like food and water. He also had a sword that he had gotten off the dead Imperial soldier. No more animals would get the drop on him and neither would any Imperials. Already his hatred for them was growing as was his admiration for the Stormcloaks. There was no doubt what he was doing after he made it to Kynesgrove. He headed back to the inn and went inside. Going to his room, he packed what he had. Tomorrow he would wear his clean clothes and leave at first light. The map she had given him said the cave wasn't that far off, but one couldn't be sure when it was on paper. It might take a few days to reach, it might take just one. Better to leave early. He went to bed after eating a quiet supper with Thoring and Karita of bread and stew.

Dawn arrived and he stepped outside with his backpack on, quiver over his shoulder, sword belt on as well as the bow in his hand. Best to be prepared. Fjolnar had warned him that Imperials liked to grab people outside of town. He would take the long way around so that he could keep out of sight. At least as long as possible. He shivered and hugged himself briefly. It was a cold morning and he wasn't exactly looking forward to trekking to this cave, but if the talk was correct, then he had a better chance of earning his thousand gold pieces than working in the mines every day. Well, perhaps not better chance, but certainly a quicker chance.

Helgrim was not a stealthy man by any means, but he did move as quietly as possible when he was walking through the forest. No need to alert everything around to his presence, after all. He began to hum a tune in his head, careful not to let any sound rumble in his throat. It kept him moving when he wanted to turn back to civilization and the warmth it provided. He also kept reminding himself why he was doing this. To help Frida, for one, and to get a horse so he could get to Kynesgrove quicker than walking or taking a carriage could get him there. He rounded a corner and stopped, leaning against a tree. In front of him were a pair of wolves and it appeared that they hadn't noticed him yet. Good, he thought. Slowly lifting the bow, he pulled an arrow out of the quiver and knocked it into the bow. He set another in the snow beside him. Pulling the string back as far as he could, he aimed carefully at one of the wolves and let the arrow fly. Before it even hit, he was readying the other arrow to fire at the other wolf. The first one struck the wolf with a loud thud and Helgrim was pleased to see the animal drop instantly to the ground. Of course, this alerted the other wolf to his whereabouts and it charged at him, mouth agape and ready to slice into his flesh. He loosed the second arrow and watched as it hit the wolf in the shoulder. Quickly, he grabbed another arrow because the one arrow hadn't killed this wolf yet, and readied it in the bow. Just as the wolf reached him and started to bite at his arms, Helgrim growled back and let the arrow fly, right into the wolf's eye. It dropped immediately, twitching as it died.  
"Damn wolves!" Helgrim paused to catch his breath, his heart racing wildly, before looking over the wounds on his arms from the wolf. At least they weren't deep, he thought to himself. He shook his head and took out his dagger and started to gut the wolves. He wasn't about to let it go to waste. He could sell the furs if nothing else and he might need the meat if it took a while to get to the Forsaken Cave. It might also work as bait if he went hunting. It took him a half hour to field dress the animals and tie a rope to their legs to drag behind him. When he made camp for the night he would skin them and prepare the hides for tanning. Then he continued his trek through the woods and stayed as stealthy as he could while dragging two dead wolves behind him.

At one point during his journey he watched what appeared to be two mages, one an ice mage and the other a fire mage, battle to the death. He was careful to remain hidden from the victor, not wanting to be his next victim. After the fire mage disappeared from view, he walked toward the dead ice mage. He checked him over and discovered a small pouch of coins and pocketed it. The man was dead and had no need of it. Helgrim reasoned that it wasn't stealing if the person was dead. He made sure he was even more careful after that. If there were folks like that out here just wandering, he didn't want to give them a target to practice their magic on. He shook his head and focused on the task at hand. When the sun was nearly set he began to search for a place to make camp. One that was hidden, but not dangerously close to any trees so he could still have a fire. He missed the warmth of Windpeak Inn already and he'd only been there for a few days. Once he picked a site, he put the wolves off to the side and set his pack down, then started on making the fire. After the fire was made, he dug his snow hole and laid one of his wolf furs on the bottom and placed the other, fur side touching fur side, on top of it. His bed prepared, he then prepared his dinner. The only thing he had eaten that day other than a few snowberries along the way.

With the fire going, his bed made, his food cooking, Helgrim sat down and started to skin the wolves and cut up the meat. It would take a while to do, but it was worth it. Even though it took some getting used to, the wolf meat wasn't all that bad. He'd eaten worse, of course. His father was a game hunter and a guide for others. He often brought home odd animals to feed his family. Not all of it was that good, but he always ate it. He had grown up being taught not to waste food because there's always someone out there that was worse off than you. That person could be dying while you are tossing your food away because you "don't like it". When you come right down to it, it was a good way of teaching your children. That way, they learn that they could be that person if Talos wanted them to be. Talos was rarely like that, but he had seen several families that had been living decently suddenly end up living on the street, or at the very least staying in a rundown shack that was filled with ten people living in it. He wasn't about to taunt Talos like that.

When he had finished with the wolves and eaten his supper, he stacked the fire so he would have warmth and crawled into his snow hole to sleep. Sleep came easily for him and he almost hated to wake up in the morning, but he told himself that he just needed to get up and moving and that feeling would go away. He crawled out of his hole, stretched and prodded the fire to get it going once more, then put more branches on it. He started to boil some snow in a pot and took care of his morning ablutions. Then he used the snow to wash his face and hands before taking the boiled snow off the fire and set it into the snow to cool slightly. Carefully he sipped it, feeling the warmth spread throughout his body. It was one thing he had picked up from Gjak and it certainly worked. He was now awake and ready to start the day. He packed up the new furs, wrapped around the wolf meat and made sure everything else was put away before he finished the hot water and packed the cup away. He kicked out the fire and put the backpack back on, along with the quiver and started on his journey once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Helgrim broke down the makeshift camp and started along his trek toward the Forsaken Cave once again. The wind was blowing and he pulled the wolf fur closer to his body to ward it off. The rabbit gloves were helping to keep his hands warm, but the rest of him was having a hard time with the weather. Growing up in the warm climate of Hammerfell made coming to Skyrim a hard task, but it was one he embraced fully. He was a Nord, born here in Skyrim. It was here that he belonged. With the sun shining on him as it started to ascend in the sky, he traveled on. He continued to sneak as well as he could since he wasn't sure what was on the road and who was friendly and who wasn't. Not for the first time since Fjolnar left he wished the man was with him still. He walked with a tune in his head that was played by Karita the last night he stayed at the inn and hummed along with it.

 _There once was a hero named Ragnar the Red, who came riding to Whiterun from ole Rorikstead!_

 _And the braggart did swagger and brandish his blade, as he told of bold battles and gold he had made!_

 _But then he went quiet, did Ragnar the Red, when he met the shieldmaiden Matilda who said..._

 _Oh, you talk and you lie and you drink all our mead! Now I think it's high time that you lie down and bleed!_

 _And so then came the clashing and slashing of steel, as the brave lass Matilda charged in full of zeal!_

 _And the braggart named Ragnar was boastful no mooooore... when his ugly red head rolled around on the floor!_

He smiled as he finished the song in his head and looked ahead of him. That Matilda seemed like a woman he might wish to meet one day, if she was real. As long as he didn't brag or boast about his adventures. He chuckled and then noticed a well worn path off the main road ahead of him. His face sobered and he brought up the bow quietly, readying an arrow in the case that he needed it. He wanted to be ready. He stopped at the path and gazed up the way it was headed. There was a building and he could see a few people moving around outside of it. If they had seen him they had decided he was no threat to them. Not ready to relax just yet, he started to walk up the path toward the building and the people. As he reached the first, a woman working at a tanning rack, he realized that they weren't a threat. He put the arrow back into the quiver and lowered the bow. A few questions later and he had verified his previous thought. It was the Hall of the Vigilants, a group of people dedicated to eradicating demons and Daedra alike. These people hunted vampires, werewolves and evil Daedra that he found out were quite prevalent in Skyrim. That sort of made him uneasy, but he figured that at least there was a group fighting them and keeping people safe. He bid them all a farewell and headed back down the hill toward the road once more. The sun was fully shining on him and he was glad that the day was nice instead of stormy. It made the traveling much easier.

He hadn't gotten too far from the vigilants when he was assaulted by a new creature. Actually it was a pair of creatures. Spiders. He shivered and grit his teeth, but drew his bow and began shooting. They were tougher than the wolves he'd already managed to kill along the way. These spiders weren't your ordinary fly-eating spiders that made webs in the corners of your house. They were as large, if not larger, as the wolves he had fought and their poison stung. Nearly ten minutes later and they were both dead at his feet. A cursory check over their bodies showed him that he could harvest their venom sacks, which he did very carefully. Perhaps he could coat his arrows with it and thus poison those that came after him later on. He was more stealthy as he went on in his traveling. About forty minutes later, he passed near a formation of rocks on the side of the road. He stopped for a moment and stared at them, unsure why anyone would have built anything out here in the middle of nowhere, but he felt like checking it out, so he did. He walked through the arch and looked around. He was surprised, and delighted, to find a shrine built to the god he worshiped, Talos. He walked to the shrine and knelt before the idol. He said a brief prayer, thanking Talos for getting him this far and then placed a chunk of wolf meat upon the rocks at the foot of the statue. He stood up, gave the shrine one more smile and left it behind.

Seeing the shrine out here like that gave him the energy he needed to continue on in the journey. To have the feeling, the faith, that his god was watching over him through everything made Helgrim happy. Shortly after leaving the shrine behind, he happened upon a bit of ruins along the road and he would have gone to investigate had it not been for the group of nasty looking people that already occupied the area. They warned him not to come any closer and they looked to be wearing armor and were armed, so he decided that he should leave them alone. No need to go intruding where he didn't belong. About an hour later, after he had been on the road for almost two hours total since he had started that morning, he came upon another building. Investigation of this one turned up a sign out front that read Nightgate Inn. Helgrim thought it was odd to have an inn out here, but he didn't question it too much. Instead, he went inside and warmed his body as well as had a bite to eat. Perhaps that was the reason for the inn to begin with. To give travelers that little boost they needed to continue on their journey. After this, he was in good spirits and walked on.

He checked the map again and gazed ahead. He had continued for another hour and just as he was starting to wonder if he had gotten lost, he saw a cave ahead of him so he thought to check the map. If it was correct, the cave was the one he was looking for. Walking up to it slowly, he searched for any signs of habitation of any animals or people. Not seeing any, he decided to just go on into the cave. He paused just inside the entrance to give his eyes the chance to adjust to the dimmer light. Helgrim continued into the cave slowly, sneaking in case there was something there that wouldn't appreciate his approach. It was a good idea because as he started to search through urns that were sitting to the side, he saw a flash of gray out of the corner of his eye. When he turned his head to see what it was, he saw a wolf sniffing around the snow that covered the ground of the cave. Silently, Helgrim pulled an arrow out of his quiver and nocked it in the bow. He pulled it back and aimed, directing it at the wolf's unaware head. Letting it fly, he was already getting the next one ready and just as the first one struck the wolf's head, dropping the animal to the ground, Helgrim noticed the second wolf he hadn't seen before. He quickly shot at it and struck it in the shoulder. The shot didn't kill it, but it did wound it enough to let him nock another arrow and shoot the wolf again. This time the animal dropped to the ground. Helgrim felt his heart racing as it fell and he breathed rapidly. The blood coursed through his veins with the adrenaline.

Deciding to leave the wolf fur and meat this time, figuring that he would leave the cave the same way, he walked on through the icy cave and shivered. There were a few urns here and there, but most of them were empty. Most likely already looted by those that had previously entered the cave. As he went further, he came to an iron door. It wasn't locked, so he pushed it open. He paused for a moment to listen for any signs that he was heard, but when there was nothing, he continued on. He walked carefully as the floor was icy in spots and passed a skeleton holding onto a satchel. Saying a quick prayer to whomever had perished in this cave, he looked in the satchel and found a few gold and a potion bottle. They obviously didn't need the items any longer, so he didn't feel bad in taking it. He stood up and made his way down the tunnel. He came to another door and opened it. Behind was rock that was not natural. It had been created by hand. There was also no more snow on the ground here. It was not warm, but at least there was no wind here.

It seemed as if he was walking forever and getting more and more lost, but he once more walked through a door and saw a hallway with an archway at the end of it. There must be people who came in here regularly, he surmised, as there were candles and braziers everywhere. Lit and cared for. That thought gave him a shiver as he prayed he wasn't trespassing into territory that would get him killed. After turning the corner through the archway, there was a wider hallway that led to a chest at the end. He walked along the floor and heard a distinct click and when he looked up, darts began to fly at him. He deftly slipped aside and watched them whip past. A trap. Interesting. Now that he knew it was there, he found the pressure plate and avoided it. He got to the chest and opened it, finding more gold and even some gems. He just might get enough to get that horse after all. After closing the chest again, his attention was caught by the sound of uneasy shuffling and he turned his head around, spying a figure heading toward him. It looked rotten, like it had been dead. Quickly, he drew his sword as it was too close to use his bow, and fought the thing off him. As he struck it for the fifth time, it fell to the ground, the light in its eyes going out.

"There. Now stay dead!"

Helgrim shook slightly with the thought that there might be undead things wandering the halls here. He left the dead body there and walked on, going through another archway and around a corner. Going up the man-made tunnel he wasn't sure exactly where he was going, but he hoped that it was the right way and he would find the ring for Frida and get out of here. Without the sun, he had no idea of passing time. At the top of the tunnel he spotted another pair of the undead creatures wandering around. He used his bow this time, catching the first one unaware and dropping it right off. The second, now aware of his presence, rushed toward him. He dropped his bow and drew the sword, meeting the creature eagerly. He slashed at its chest several times before his sword went through it and the light went out in its eyes. He pushed it off the sword and watched it fall to the ground. These things were going to drive him insane. How does something like this happen? He wasn't sure about that, but there was little he could do about that. Except to put down each one that he saw.

He grabbed what he could off their dead bodies, amazingly they had gold and gems on them. It might prove fruitful to dispatch them. He walked on through the tunnels and walked up a well lit tunnel to a room that had several off shoots of rooms off it. A few urns were located here also and he couldn't help going through them and taking what he could. He had a goal to reach, damn it and he would reach it. This place was like a maze, and if he wasn't careful he could get lost in it, but he had a navigator's sense that had kept him from getting lost throughout his life. He didn't feel this would be any different. As he turned a corner, he saw a figure standing in an alcove. It looked dead, of course, but he knew better. Drawing the bow, he shot at the creature. What was it? A zombie? No, it had too much thought for that. Plain and simple it was an animated corpse. It might be something to read up on once he was in Windhelm. For now, though, he focused on putting it down. Another shot dropped it to the floor and he continued through the rooms. He garnered whatever he could from the urns and dead bodies that he found. This was place was more like a crypt than a cave. Obviously people came here, they had to, otherwise how would the candles and braziers get refilled and replaced? Though maybe people hadn't been here since the dead started "waking up". That would be enough to frighten most people away.

With his new ethos in his head now, he vowed to clear the place of the animated corpses so that the loved ones of those that rested peacefully here could once more visit them. He killed several more of the creatures until he came into a room with a door that was locked. Finding in his pocket something he could use to pick the lock since he didn't have a key he started to work on it. However, after three attempts at the lock and no success, he decided to leave it alone and continue on through the maze of tunnels. The walls were cool to the touch, but one could tell they were created by man, not nature. He wondered again why someone would have put a crypt underground and hidden it in such a way to begin with. It just didn't make any sense at all. Walking carefully through the area, not wanting to awake any other dead things, he came to a stairway leading down and followed it.

Travel through the tunnels began to get increasingly more and more tiresome and tedious. If he didn't know any better, and he did, he would have thought he was getting no where. Not only were there rooms that looked like every other room in this place, with bodies that looked like all the other bodies, but it was getting rather old to walk around a corner and find another animated corpse to put down. Though he did have one good thing so far. He was collecting quite the pouch of gold from the urns and bodies. He'd even picked up a few potion bottles. A few that were reddish in color and others that were bluish in color. He had no idea what they were, but assumed that Frida could tell him what they were and what their uses were. Perhaps she might even be interested in buying them from him, thus giving him even more money. A good thing, indeed.

Helgrim came up to another well lit room and stopped. There was a pattern on the floor here and he wasn't sure about it. Slowly reaching out his leg, he touched the pattern with his foot and pulled it back. Just in time, too, as fire shot upwards out of the holes in the floor. Another trap, surely. As he investigated the trap and searched for a way out of it, he saw an undead corpse approach him from across the room. As it neared, he once more touched the trap and set it off. The corpse, not having a brain, stood inside the flames and burned to death. He chuckled a bit at the idea of how stupid these things were, but figured that since they were reanimated dead they probably wouldn't have much of a brain anyway. Finally, he saw how he could get around the trapped floor and moved to the other side. There was another corpse he had to put down before moving on through the tunnels again.

He left the well lit room behind and turned the corner that brought him down a short hallway to an archway. Looking through the archway he noticed a part of the floor that looked different and from previous experience in this place, he understood that it meant there was a trap there. Stepping upon the pressure plate and then moving back, standing around the corner, he saw a battering ram come swing down and would have hit him had he not moved out of the way. That was an interesting trap and would have gotten him if he had not thought to look at the floor. He avoided that part of the floor and continued through the archway and into another room. Here there were shelves that held a few potion bottles, some ingot bars, lots of linen wraps and embalming tools. It must have been one of the storage places. He grabbed what he needed or thought he might be able to sell, then went on. He came to another iron door. It had the inscription on the side of it that read, "Open, Forsaken Crypt".

A shiver ran up Helgrim's spine, but he opened the door anyway. He had thought that where he was previously was a crypt, but now he could see he was wrong. This place was huge and much more man made than even before, if it was possible. He looked up when he entered a room and saw that it went at least two stories high. Amazing, he thought as he continued on. He walked around the corner, bow at the ready, and saw that he was incorrect. It was not two stories high, it was actually three stories high. Whomever had thought to build this must have some intelligence. It was nothing short of genius and he felt the urge to explore it all. Or at least whatever he could get to. As he stepped into a larger room with a few sarcophagi and some shelving in it, one of the undead arose and came after him. He put it down with two arrows and checked out the shelves. He found a few more potion bottles and ingot bars. Because of all the stuff he was picking up, he hoped he was near the end, his backpack was getting heavy.

Next to the shelves was a staircase that led up and though Helgrim hesitated for a moment, he knew the room he was in was three stories high and there was really only one way of reaching the top floor. He had to go up the stairs. At the top he found a short hallway that led to more well lit rooms. At least these crypts looked better than the ones he'd seen before and they also happened to look better cared for. He hadn't seen anyone except for the undead things, but that didn't mean that people didn't come by occasionally and take care of the crypts. He'd heard stories about how the Nord people liked to keep their dead in crypts called the Hall of the Dead for family members to go to and pray over. That was one custom he would rarely, if ever, take part in. He could just imagine the smell in those places.

Helgrim walked on, through the hallways, up more stairs and reached a small room with a few urns in it. He searched through them before going on. Some might have called him a thief, but he was hardly that. These people were dead and had no use for their items. He on the other hand had a use for everything. He could either use the money or he could sell the other stuff to get money. He would do anything, short of murdering someone and perhaps even holding them up, to get the money he needed to make his way to Kynesgrove and eventually back home to Eir. She would understand, he was sure of it. Another staircase and he came out above the large room he had left. The narrow walkway made it difficult to pass, but he was successful. On the other side of the pillar that the walkway went around he noticed three sarcophagi and an undead creature. A few shots later, the creature was dead and he was able to get across to the coffins. He discovered that in front of one of the sarcophagi stood a chest.

He checked the lid and it was not locked, so he lifted it. Inside was some gold and a potion bottle as well as a gem. He shut it again and said a little prayer over the bodies in the sarcophagi before continuing his journey. It was a monotonous trek. Walk through hallway, into room, kill undead thing, check for money or items that can be sold for money, then move on down hallway, into room, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Had Helgrim not been asked to find a ring in here for Frida, he would not have continued as far as he had. The woman seemed nice and he could tell she was too frail to have handled this type of journey. No, better for him to do it. He was young and agile, and he could get out of the way of traps and undead things before they got him. Besides, Frida deserved a little peace after dealing with all that she'd had to. After checking the chest and the shelves here, he turned and found another set of stairs that led up. He followed them where they went, bow ready to shoot if needed.

This hallway took him to a large circular room. After dispatching the undead things there, he looked it over. When he looked up, he saw spikes coming out of the ceiling. This was interesting as he thought it must be a trap, but how did it work? As he was walking around the room, he stepped on a circle in the middle of the room. He heard a grinding sound that was like rock scraping rock. He jumped aside as he felt the ground shift and raise and watched as the circle became a huge pillar that went up, right where the spikes were. What a smart way of setting a trap. Anyone who walked on the circle would be lifted upwards to be impaled on the spikes. Walking carefully around the circle, he found a door on the other side and opened it. No surprise that he found another set of stairs going up. He began to hum the Ragnar the Red song again as he walked up the stairs. He found himself at the very top level of the large room he'd been in. From here he could see where he entered and where he was on the second level. It would have been a good place to snipe from, if he were a sniper and there was anything to snipe down below, which there wasn't.

The walkway was so high up that it had wire caging that encased it entirely. He was certain that someone was worried about their safety or they wouldn't have put the caging up. He walked around the pillar and to the end of the walkway where he found another long hallway. This one was dimmer, though, and he readied an arrow just in case. As he reached the end of it and turned a corner, he was met with another undead thing which he killed with the bow in just two shots. He felt he was getting really rather good at this when he turned the corner to look through an archway. Through the winding hallways he went, killing the undead creatures as he went along. They were becoming more of a nuisance than anything else. Just something to stop him from hurrying through the area. At least he felt more confident about his bow skills now. After several twists and turns, he made it to another iron door. It was also unlocked, so he pushed it open. Before him stood a hallway and beyond that he saw a couple staircases, one on either side of an opening. There must have been a sensor somewhere that triggered as he approached because as he looked into the hallway, he was met with several swinging blades. A veritable death trap if he'd ever seen one.

Helgrim paused for a while to figure this trap out and saw that the blades swung in a pattern and that if one could simply figure out the pattern, they could make it through the trap pretty easily. With a deep breath, he made the first foray into the trap, stopping after he passed the first blade, before hitting the second. He waited for the second to swing by and hurried through, stopping before the third. Once that one went by, he moved through and stopped before the last blade passed, then moved through and into the room. Almost immediately the blades stopped swinging and he narrowed his blue eyes at the trap. That must have been part of it as well. Ingenious.

While he was busy checking out the blade trap, he heard the sound of a sarcophagus being pushed open. He turned around and saw another undead thing coming out of the sarcophagus in the middle of the huge room. Quickly drawing his bow, Helgrim readied an arrow and aimed at the creature. Letting it fly, he smiled briefly as it hit its target and then drew another arrow out of his quiver and nocked it. The creature was still walking toward him and he swallowed, steadied his aim and let it go. The second arrow sunk into the creature's chest with a thud. He had enough time to drop the bow and draw his sword before it reached him and let out a loud, ground shaking yell at him. He felt the pain in his head and stepped back a little, shaking his head. Regaining his composure, he stepped back up to the undead thing and slashed with his sword. He was very good with his bow, but was nearly just as good with the sword. A growl came from his mouth as the thing yelled at him once more in a language he had no knowledge of. He shivered, but this time he stayed in place.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he yelled back at the creature.

Another slice at the abdomen and the thing went down on its knees. With a quick thought, Helgrim struck with his sword and removed the thing's head. It was perhaps a tad more excitement over that than there should have been, but he was huffing and puffing from the fight. This thing had been the hardest thing he'd had to go up against in his entire life. Without moving any further into the room, he checked around before putting his sword away. He didn't need to be surprised, after all. He picked up his bow and went into a stealthy crouch, then moved further into the room. It was a very large room which had a ceiling that was much higher than it really needed to be, in Helgrim's opinion. He saw a figure in an alcove and put it down with two arrows. Searching through the entire room he discovered three more alcoves like this and killed each undead creature that was hiding there. After he had finished and it was deemed safer, he stood back up and lowered the bow.

As he went up to the sarcophagus that the harder to kill undead thing came out of, he noticed two stairways on either side of a hallway. He walked up one of the sets of stairs and at the top was a very large chest. A quick look around made him sure that there were no other undead creatures around and he went to the chest and lifted the lid. There inside the chest was two rings, a couple weapons, some armor and lots of gold and gems. Surely this would help him reach his goal of one thousand gold pieces. With a smile upon his face he packed all of it away in his backpack or attached it to the sides of it in the case of the weapons. After everything was put away in an appropriate place, he sat down on the ground and relaxed for a moment. He was certain that one of the rings he had found in the chest was the one Frida's husband had been searching for. He would have to look at it closer when he got to Dawnstar again.

After Helgrim rested for about a half hour, he rose once more to his feet and put his backpack on his shoulders. Then, holding his bow, he walked back down the stairs. The hallway between the stairs led to another room that didn't have much of anything with value in it, so he left it alone. He left that room and went back into the big room where he noticed a door off to the side and he walked over to it. It was unlocked and he grinned, wondering if it might have led to a treasure room or something, but when he opened it he found a set of stairs that went up to another door. Figuring that he might as well check it out rather than backtracking just yet through the entire maze that he had come through to get where he was, he headed up the stairs and opened the door. Behind this one held a small room with snow on the ground and a brazier burning brightly. The walls were back to the cave type, which was a little odd after all the well worked stone that he had been in for a lot of the time. On the opposite side was a lever. It might have been a trap, but he didn't care and went to it and lifted the lever. A loud grinding was heard and beyond that a door opened up and revealed the room he had first gone into, where he killed the wolves. Talos was guiding him because he certainly wasn't looking forward to going all the way back to the beginning the way he'd come. Now he didn't have to. He made his way back down and out of the cave and into the darkness outside. It had been daylight when he had gone inside and now it was full dark. Just how long he had been in there was a mystery, but he would guess it was several hours. Deciding to be smart, he turned around and went back into the cave and made his camp there. At least it was out of the wind and cold and he wouldn't have to dig a hole in the snow. Tomorrow he would travel back to Dawnstar with his loot. In two days time he would find out just how profitable this whole adventure had turned out to be. Right now, however, he prepared his camp and his supper, then rolled out his bed and slept. He was very exhausted after an entire day killing undead things and traveling through a cave and crypt.

The next morning he woke up and prepared his breakfast, packed up his camp and made sure all of his valuables were still where they were supposed to be before leaving the cave. The trek back to Dawnstar was less stressful than it was getting to the cave because he knew where he was headed and could navigate better. It would have given him a better chance of getting back to Dawnstar in the same day if it hadn't been snowing when he left the cave. Still, by the time the sun went down he had been walking for nine hours and after the marathon adventure in the cave, he was feeling very tired and very sore. Very ready to sleep for a week. He went through the motions of making camp in the lessening light and put his supper on the fire to cook. He had to admit that wolf meat when cooked over a fire was actually pretty good. After a night of sleep and a freshening in the morning, he continued his return trip to Dawnstar. The snow stopped about two hours after he began walking and he reached town two hours after that. Breathing a sigh of relief, he sat on the steps to the inn and rested a moment before he walked on to the Mortar and Pestle to return the ring to Frida.

Helgrim decided that he would head over to see Rustleif after to see what he could sell for weapons and armor, then he would check in with Thoring and see if he had any food items he might want. He needed to sell whatever he could before moving onto the next town. Without a general shop to visit in Dawnstar, he would have to make do with what was available. He walked into Frida's shop and smiled at the woman who smiled back to him in kind. He had to admit, the people he had met thus far, excluding the three Imperials that had captured Fjolnar, had all been quite nice to him, a foreigner for all intents and purposes. He stepped up to the counter and Frida greeted him with a hug, glad to see him alive and in one piece. After a brief chat about how they were both doing as well as the town, for Helgrim had been gone for almost an entire week, he brought up the ring.

"I think I've got your ring, Frida." He reached into his pocket, pulled out the two rings that had been in the large chest at the end of the cave and held them out to her.

"Oh, thank you!" Frida checked over both rings and took the one on the right. "This means so much to an old woman like me. Here, let me pass on some of my secrets to you."

Frida spent the next hour in her shop with Helgrim, showing him the most common herbs and flowers used for potions and the like as well as how to mix them and what to mix them with. When he was done, Helgrim had the basic knowledge that could be used to make a simple healing potion or magicka potion, not that he really needed either of those. He didn't cast spells and he tried very hard not to get hurt. The next hour after was spent bartering the potions and ingredients that he had found in the cave. He didn't exactly need them, so why not sell them and get more gold for the horse he planned to purchase and the trip to Kynesgrove that he was sure was going to take more than a few days to reach. When he left the shop he patted the pouch of gold and felt much better. He was more than half the way to where he needed to get to. His next stop, the blacksmith to sell the weapons and armor he'd grabbed.

Between selling his loot and eating his supper, he used the rest of the day to sell everything he could. As he sat on his bed that night, he counted all of the gold out and smiled when he realized he had earned what he needed plus two hundred. Surely that would be enough to get the horse and make it to Kynesgrove. Even if he couldn't get to Kynesgrove, perhaps another town where he could then sell the rest of the items in his backpack. He went to bed that night with the money pouch under his pillow and his hand clutching it tightly. He wasn't about to let it out of his sight for any length of time. He had worked hard to get that money. He wasn't about to lose it when he was so close to the first goal.

In the morning, after eating his breakfast and thanking Thoring and Karita for the meal and the kindness, he went to search for Abelone. He needed to apologize to her for how things had turned out and he wanted to explain himself to her. He found her outside in the stable, feeding the horses, and he walked up to her slowly. No sense in scaring the woman out of her mind with his sudden approach.

"Abelone?"  
"Oh!" She gasped with the surprise of him being suddenly there and sighed when she saw it was him. "Helgrim."

"I figured I should probably explain myself to you. I didn't refuse you because you aren't beautiful. Quite the opposite. You are the type of woman any man would give his right arm for. However, I have a girl back home that I am in love with and intend to marry."

"Oh. I guess that works. I wasn't terribly put out by you, but you are the first man aside from Thoring who has rebuffed my attention. It tends to make me wonder if there might be something wrong with me."

"No, there's nothing wrong with you, Abelone. I'm just in love with someone else and am remaining faithful to her alone. I hope you understand."

"Of course I do, Helgrim. That is a quality that a lot of men don't have these days. Your girl is very lucky indeed."

"Thank you. Now, who do I talk to about purchasing one of these wonderful beasts?"

"Well, that would be me. Thoring lets me handle this part of the business since I know more about horses than he does. Are you looking to buy one?"

"I am. I'd like to look them all over if I may. I know horses also. I worked as a blacksmith for ten years and put my share of shoes on them. I can tell which have strong legs and which of them will lose the strength in their backs."

"Sure. Go ahead. I've got to bring the wood into the inn anyway. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Abelone turned and left him to look over the four horses in the paddock and carried the armful of wood into the inn. Helgrim turned and leaned against the railing of the paddock, inspecting each of the horses. He used his critical eye first to pick out which horses wouldn't last a day and those that would go forever on build alone. Then he climbed over the fence and went to each horse in turn. The bay was slightly sore in a hind leg as he ran his hand down its leg to check the feet. He still looked it over in case it needed attention, but it was just a stone. Still, it would take another day before the horse could be ridden. He shook his head, gave the bay another pat on the shoulder and then turned to a painted mare. Her chestnut and white coat was striking against the snow, but he didn't really like the way she tossed her head when he approached. A head shy horse was one that had little respect for its owner. Helgrim didn't need a horse like that. He gave her a pat as well and then walked to a gelding grazing on the hay off to the side. He liked the color, a grullo appaloosa that had a blanket and was near leopard. However, this one was somewhat swayback and also had cracked hooves. Not exactly unheard of in snow, but with the back issue made Helgrim not want him. He turned to the last horse and stepped toward her. The mare was another chestnut and white paint, but with a face that showed intelligence, something he liked. After checking her feet and finding no issues, he ran his hand over the mare's back and hips, pressing here and there to make sure there was no pain. The mare passed each of his tests so that when Abelone returned a short time later, he leaned against the railing again and motioned to the mare.  
"I'll take that one. She's got a good head on her shoulders."

"Good choice. We've had several people say they've never seen a more friendly horse. If that's the one you want, she's one thousand gold."

"Yeah, she's the one I want." Helgrim smiled and then started to count out the one thousand coins to pay for her. He put them into a smaller pouch and handed that pouch to Abelone. "Thank you, I appreciate it. Does she have a name?"

"She's been here only a week. As far as I know she doesn't have a name yet." Abelone took the coin pouch that he handed her and pocketed it, then tied a rope around the mare's neck and handed that to him. "I'm glad we spoke. I thought you hated me, Helgrim."

"Hmm, I will have to think on a name for her." He took the rope and then looked up at her when she said that she was glad they spoke. He shook his head. "I never hated you, Abelone. I was just afraid of being tempted to do something I would later regret. You understand right?"

"Yes, of course I do. Thank you, Helgrim. Enjoy your new mare and I wish you good luck on your journey." Then she turned around and went back inside the inn.

Helgrim looked at the mare and tilted his head slightly, looking her over. The mare did the same thing at him and he smiled. He had picked the right one. He led her out of the paddock, careful to close the gate behind her, and on the road to the inn. He tied the rope to the rail next to the stairs and was quiet. He looked her over to see if her name came to him. He patted her neck softly and then went back to the stable, grabbed some hay and dropped it beside her. He then went back inside as the sun was dipping under the horizon and paid for one more night at the Windpeak Inn. He intended to leave out the next day if all went well. Perhaps he could talk to Thoring one more time and get a direction to go in where he might find another town. For now, though, he wanted to rest. Between selling the rest of what he could and buying the horse, he was ready for the sleep.

The morning came and he was packing everything up once more. This time it was final and he felt the bittersweet sadness that came with it. He would eventually return to Dawnstar, he knew he would. The people he had met and gotten to know here had almost become like family. He wouldn't forget them and he wondered if they would forget him after he left. When he was finished getting everything packed up, he made sure the coin purse was tucked inside his shirt where pickpockets would have a very hard time getting to it. Then he looked around the room once more to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything and put the backpack on, attached the sword belt around his waist, tossed the quiver over his shoulder and carried the bow out of the room. He went to the counter where Thoring was wiping it down with a cloth. He looked up at Helgrim at his approach.

"Leaving out today, Helgrim?"

"Yeah. I was thinking I might head to another town. Do you have a map of the area that might show me where the next town is at?"

"Hmm, I think Karita might actually have a map you could use. Karita?" Thoring's daughter came over to the counter and looked at them, a small smile on her face. She always enjoyed talking to Helgrim.  
"Yes, Papa?"

"Do you have that map you always carry about you?"

"You know I do, Papa. One day I wanna travel the countryside. Why?"

"Helgrim was asking if I had a map that would show him where the next town was at. I told him you might have one he could use." Thoring gave her a look that said he didn't want her traveling all over the countryside. Especially alone. Karita hesitated, frowning as she caught on to what her father was doing. She sighed and nodded, relenting. She pulled into her pocket and held out the worn paper to Helgrim.  
"Here you go, Helgrim. I've talked to a lot of people that have come through here. I've had them point out places on the map."

"Thank you, Karita. Do not fear, I shall return the map to you when I am done with it. You will be able to travel the countryside using it," Helgrim assured her, letting his hand cover hers in a gesture of comfort. He pocketed the map and stood up. "A loaf of bread and some cheese, if you will Thoring? That should keep me going for a bit."

Thoring nodded and turned to get Helgrim what he wanted and Karita returned to play a song near the fireplace. Thoring returned and handed the satchel to Helgrim with a sigh.

"I am sad to see you go, but I know that you will find your way soon enough. Please, send us letters of your exploits. You know full well that Karita will love reading about them."

"Of course, Thoring. You and Karita and Abelone, too, are some of the first friends I ever made here and have become like family. I will send letters whenever I can. I must go and say farewell to Rustleif and Seren now. Until later, my friend." He shook hands with the man and then turned, leaving the inn. After another half hour and a tearful goodbye from the pregnant Seren he made his last step, saying goodbye to Frida. He told the old woman that he would return again soon and take her up on her offer of feeding him a home-cooked meal. By noontime, he had said his goodbyes to everyone and mounted the mare. The mare he still hadn't named yet. He was sure it would come to him on the journey, but for now she was just 'Horse' and that was fine with him. For now. He was of the mind that everyone should have a name and a lot of the time the animal would tell you their name, you just had to be in the right frame of mind to hear them. With a final look over his shoulder, he said farewell to Dawnstar and began his trek eastward, the direction of Kynesgrove. Karita told him that everything that she had gleamed through her talks with travelers told her it would take some time to reach it, but Helgrim didn't care. He was on his way once more. He had a horse beneath him and money in his pocket. He was doing well.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Helgrim urged the mare into a walk and just walked along the road as he studied the map that Karita had given him. He saw a few places that were marked on the map, presumably by the travelers she had talked to in order to get the information in the first place. It would be useful, he surmised, to know where there might be a fort or a ruin he could use as shelter rather than sleep outside. Even though he had warm clothes now and even a horse, he had no wish to sleep in the snow if he didn't have to. He followed the line that was the road until it reached what he guessed was a town called Winterhold. It didn't look terribly far away. Certainly not more than a few days on horseback. He put the map back in his pocket and patted the horse's neck then urged her into a smooth, ground-eating canter. Helgrim had assured himself that buying the mare would prove very thoughtful indeed.

An hour into the uneventful journey and he slowed the mare as they came upon a structure that looked almost like a fortress. Almost. A ruined one perhaps. He stopped the horse outside the entryway and looked around, searching for signs of recent activity. As he did this, however, an arrow whipped by his head and he looked up and saw the man on the wall, bow raised and ready to shoot again. Helgrim turned the horse and started to go back the way they'd come, but another arrow narrowly missed his head. He stopped the mare and dismounted, pulling out his bow in the same motion. He quickly drew an arrow and aimed at the man on the wall, but he was gone. The man reappeared in the entryway and was coming toward him and his horse with sword raised. The moment Helgrim was about to shoot the attacker, he had to stay his hand because the horse jumped in front of him.

Helgrim could only stand and stare as he watched the mare attack the man repeatedly. He snapped out of it when he heard her squeals as she was struck with the sword, but by the time he drew the bow up again, the man lay dead on the ground. He looked over at the mare and chuckled. Before he could say anything, however, a second man began shooting at him with a bow and he dodged to the side and found a tree to use as cover. Bringing his bow up to shoot the man, he watched as once more the horse stepped in to fight the man. She reared and struck out with her large, strong hooves at the man. Had Abelone known what sort of horse she had been selling him? Perhaps not or she would surely have asked for more money. He kept the bow up in case he needed to save the mare, but she seemed to know what she was doing. The other man now lay dead at her feet and he came out of hiding and approached her, making sure his own weapon was put away first. He didn't need her thinking he was an attacker as well.

"Now look at that, horse. You went and killed both and left none for me," he teased the horse as if she could answer back.

The mare whuffed and turned around, placing her slightly bloody muzzle into his arms for a hug. Helgrim could feel his heart tugging a bit. He'd only had her for half a day, but already he was growing attached. Patting her shoulder, he took the reins and walked beside her and headed to the entrance to the fort. There didn't appear to be anymore people hanging out here. Once they were in the courtyard, he dropped her reins and turned. There were a set a stairs that led up to the walls. He noticed the smelter that was undoubtedly used for smelting ore. As he turned, he spotted a double door entry and walked over to it. He tried the handles and found out it was locked. Shrugging, he figured he might as well investigate this place. It wasn't like he had a time table to reach Kynesgrove. He was a curious creature by design and he had to satisfy that curiosity with a little snooping.

He walked up the stairs to the second level of the outside and followed the trail as it led around to above the other doors. Here was another doorway and he tried this door and it was open. One more look at the horse below to make sure she was fine and then he opened the door and went inside. He paused as he went inside and pulled out the map once more. He followed the road to about where he was and used the charcoal to mark the place on the map. Perhaps someone in Winterhold would be able to tell him what it was called. He tucked it away again and put the charcoal in his backpack, then crouched into a stealth position and moved further into the place. He heard a rough voice and stopped moving, pressed up against the wall as he thought someone was coming through the archway toward him. No one did.

"Damn! It's all mead, mead, mead. Would it really kill 'em to get some beer now and then? Screw those stupid bees and their stupid honey." Helgrim swallowed to wet his suddenly dry throat and he clenched his fists once, then twice before taking his bow out and preparing to defend himself.

"I should have known she was lying. She said she'd wait for me, but they never do." As the man went on, either talking to himself or to some other person who was staying quiet, he moved further into the room.

"I need me some more skooma. The good, imported stuff. Just one last time." Helgrim shook his head at those words. Skooma was the worst kind of drug that everyone seemed to get addicted to after just a few tastes. He'd seen more than one of his friends end up in the temples for healing because of it. He turned a corner and still hadn't seen the guy. Just some beds and shelves.

"Shit, I told him just to hand over the gold, but did he listen? Oh no, they never do. They always have to fight back!" He would be doing the world a favor, apparently, if he took care of this guy. Skooma addict, drunkard, thief, murderer. He moved along the side of a bed and stopped as he saw another room off the one he stood in. Inside this room sat a man, alone, at a table.

"Ah, picking pockets, now that's the real art. No rough stuff, just take it and go. Hmph, I know, it doesn't sound like much fun though." Helgrim moved around so he could get a shot off at the guy, but there were some loose rocks in the way and he crunched as he stepped over them.

"What was that?" the guy asked, standing up and drawing his sword at the same time.

Helgrim pulled the bow back, aimed and let the arrow fly at the man. A satisfying thunk as it hit the man in the shoulder brought a grin to Helgrim's face, but it was short-lived as the man reached him. He shot once more, hitting him in the gut, then dropped the bow and drew the sword at his side. There was a brief clanging of steel as the two men fought, but with a final thrust, Helgrim pierced the man's chest with his sword. He grunted and stared into the other's surprised face. He had just appeared and ended the man's life. When the bandit's last breath left his body, he pulled his sword out of his body and wiped the blood off on the man's clothing. He felt a little guilty about killing the man that way, but it wasn't like the guy was innocent or anything. He had all but admitted killing a man for his money. Shaking his head and bringing himself back into the frame of mind he needed before he was lost to the guilt, he looked into the room the guy had been sitting in. The first place his eyes went to was the large chest sitting against a wall. He had spent most of his money on the horse and provisions for his trip. The promise of something valuable made him step into the room.

He found the chest unlocked and opened it. Inside he found thirty four gold coins, a potion bottle that he would investigate later when he stopped for the night, a rolled up paper that might have been a scroll, a book that had some strange writings in it, a gold necklace and a circlet that was copper and had rubies in it. He was sure most, if not all, of the items would sell for a decent amount, so he made sure they were all packed into his backpack before he moved to the wall. On the wall there was a plaque with two greatswords and a shield on it. The man wasn't going to need them anymore, so he took them off the wall and attached them to his backpack. He turned to leave and checked over the man's dead body one more time before he left the building. In a small pocket he discovered a key and wondered if it went to the doors that were locked. He decided to check it out.

He went outside and down the stairs, then went to the double doors. He put the key into the lock and it turned, unlocking the doors. A grin on his face, he pocketed the key and then opened the doors, walking inside the building at this level. As soon as he stepped through the doors and shut them behind him he realized this was a mine. Why the doors were locked was a mystery, but perhaps it was a prison? He readied the bow in his hand and crouched to hide, moving stealthily across the floor. He could hear the sounds of people mining and timed his steps accordingly. He found a ramp leading down into the mine and slowly descended. He stopped when he saw a woman walking through and stopped. She also spoke of skooma and he guessed all of these people must be addicted to it and banded together out of desperation. Drawing his bow back, he aimed and let it go, striking the woman. She gasped and then was silent. With a bow in his hand, Helgrim was deadly.

As he made his way slowly to the woman's body he found a few mushrooms that Frida had told him about, so he picked them up and put them into his backpack. If nothing else, he might able to make a potion himself and sell it. He got to the woman's body and checked it over for anything of value. She had some gold and a few weapons he felt would sell well, so he took them. Then he checked around quickly before mining some of the iron ore for himself. He had learned that blacksmiths paid well for ore and ingots both, so he would grab it where he could and sell it. After he had mined some of the ore, he put the pickaxe away and grabbed his bow once again, going to the next ramp that led down. He was careful where he put his feet in case there were traps in this place. His last experience of going into someplace he didn't know was that he found dead things moving around and trying to kill him. Here he was glad to see that it was actual people, but that made him feel guilt, something he didn't want to feel right now.

Helgrim reached the bottom of the ramp and it turned a corner. He followed along the wall as much as possible and stuck to the shadows to stay out of sight. He noticed a table and went to see what was on it since there were no other bandits around. Not really much there except a book and a few pieces of gold. He pocketed the gold and put the book in his pack then went on. There were two bandits down a long hallway that appeared to be mining the ore. With a well aimed shot, he put one of them down easily enough. The other, alerted to danger by the death of his friend, drew his sword and began to walk down the hall. Helgrim shot him once and watched as the man ran into a huge boulder and fell to the ground, clutching his leg. He shot the man again and silenced him. Not seeing any others, he put the bow away and walked toward them. As he passed by a barrel with a lantern on it he noticed a glint out of the corner of his eye. When he looked down to see what it was, he found a reddish gem. He quickly pocketed that in case his mind stepped in and tried to tell him he was stealing. He wasn't stealing, these people were bandits. Thieves, murderers, whatever, but they were all criminals.

He checked over their bodies as well and took what was worthwhile to him, then left the mines. When he got back outside he saw that it was getting dark and he didn't relish the idea of sleeping in the wilderness, even with the horse as a companion, so he made sure the mare was comfortable and she had some grass to graze on, then he went back inside the fort and slept in one of the bandit beds. It wasn't a very restful sleep because he was on alert in case any straggling bandits happened inside, but at least he was warm. In the morning, he rode the horse around the outer walls and up the hills behind the fort where he could see a path and followed it. He ate his breakfast as they walked along the trail, deciding that having a horse was good for that as well. They traveled for a short while before coming up to what looked like a small stone building. As he approached it, he noticed a man who looked none too happy to see him.

"Okay, horse, now let's try to do this stealthily, eh?" Helgrim whispered to the mare and then dismounted, crouching and moving behind a bush.

Unfortunately, the horse must not have understood him because as soon as he was off her back, she charged into battle with the bandit outside the building. Shaking his head, Helgrim followed and held the bow ready for when he got a clear shot. It was unnecessary, though. Within a few minutes, the man lay dead at her feet. The smile on his face was growing by the day for this horse. He worried, of course, for her health, but so far she seemed able to take care of herself. The cuts that she had gotten already weren't deep and as long as they were kept clean, they should be fine. He would have some stories to tell Abelone the next time he saw her, though. As he was patting the horse, his attention wavered and he realized it when the arrow sank into his arm.

"Argh!"  
The mare, tossing her head and snorting, turned and charged after the other man, an archer. Helgrim was at a loss because of the arrow in his arm, but he did draw his sword in case he needed to help the mare. Luck was on his side, however, as the man soon faced the same fate as all the others that the horse had gone up against. He watched as the mare stomped on the ground next to the dead man and snorted. It was as if she was congratulating herself for a job well done. He laughed and walked up to her.

"You did good, horse, but now I've got to get somewhere I can pull this damn thing out. Try not to get in any trouble, alright?" He patted her again and then went to the door of the building and opened it.  
When he got inside, he leaned back against the door and looked at his arm. It was bleeding, but if he could just get the arrow out, he'd be able to wrap the wound and get it to stop bleeding. Knowing that it wasn't going to feel good when he took the arrow out, he grabbed the cloth and put it between his teeth. If there was anyone else inside here, he didn't want them to come running. Then he shut his eyes and pulled the arrow out of his arm. He growled into the cloth and shut his eyes, but didn't stop. Not until the arrow was out of his arm at least. He dropped it beside him, stumbled to the shadows and collapsed on a pile of straw. The hazy darkness of pain-induced sleep came over him and he slipped into unconsciousness.

A little while later Helgrim woke up and grimaced in pain when he moved his arm. He looked down at it and saw that the wound had stopped bleeding and even started to scab over. He brushed the straw off of it lightly, then looked around, making sure he was still alone. Luckily it wasn't a well traveled area apparently. He took the cloth that he had clamped down on and placed it around his arm to cover the wound. If he hadn't passed out he would have done it sooner. Hopefully it wouldn't get infected before he could get to a temple and get some healing. Once that was done he stood up and made sure his stuff was still intact. Assured that all was well, he picked up his bow and walked forward. He saw there was a stairway that led down and crouched, walking down slowly. He kept to the wall and had the bow ready to fire. At the bottom of the stairs the landing turned to the left and had another staircase down. Helgrim followed along silently.

When he reached the bottom of these stairs, it turned to the right and he was sure he would see another stairway down, but instead he found a wooden door. Checking it he found it was unlocked and turned the handle, then pushed it open. Slowly he moved along through the halls of the building. He came to another unlocked wooden door and opened it, surprising the man behind the door. Drawing his sword, he met the man's blade with his own and they started to fight. It was brief, however, as Helgrim struck the man down. He was glad that he had learned how to sword fight with both arms since his right arm wasn't very useful right now. He wouldn't be using his bow until he was healed up. After a quick check to make sure there weren't any others, he checked the man and took what he wanted. He went to the door and looked around. Below there was another man walking around and Helgrim wished badly for the use of his bow. He growled under his breath and stepped down the stairs that led down below.

He began to make his way toward the man that was walking around down here, sword ready, and was nearly ready to lunge when he stepped on a loose rock and heard a crunch. The man turned around and drew his sword quickly. Helgrim cursed old stone and raised his sword to protect his head from the other man's strike. They went around each hitting the other a few times before Helgrim was able to get in close and stab the man. He stared into his eyes as the man died and then stepped back, pulling his sword back out. He grumbled about how much more difficult it was to fight with swords than with a bow. He could shoot from a fair distance away and still put a man down. It became more personal when one had to look the other in the face. Helgrim didn't like it, but he prayed Talos looked after them on their way to Sovngarde. He checked him over for any sort of valuable items and then went into a room off the side of the larger one.

There was a table with benches in this room and what appeared to be several bookshelves, some of them knocked down. He did take a quick look at the books to see if any were salvageable, but found none. He found a few alchemical items that he could either use in potion making or sell to an alchemist for gold. He heard footsteps and froze, then looked down the hallway into the other room. He saw a man walking across the opening and stayed hidden behind one of the bookshelves. He went through his backpack and searched, then found what he was looking for. A healing potion. Smiling, he took the stopper out of the bottle and drank it down. Immediately he felt the effects course through his body as the wound in his arm healed. Much better. He would now be able to use his bow and thus stay out of range of their sharp swords.

Helgrim drew his bow, nocked the arrow and aimed before letting it fly toward the guy. The sound reverberated through the stone rooms and he flinched a little as the man dropped to the ground. He had never really liked the idea of killing another person, but he understood enough by now to know that they would come after him if he didn't take them out first. He was done getting hurt. When he was sure no one else was coming through the area, he moved closer and searched through the man's belongings. He pocketed the fifty five gold pieces the man had been carrying and then looked around the room to see if there was anything he could pick up and sell in Winterhold. There were a few things, but he was picky about what he took. He couldn't carry everything, but he took what he could.

There was an open door on one of the walls in this room and he looked through it to see a stairway up. Not seeing any enemies, he made his way up the stairs slowly and quietly. When he made it to Winterhold he would have to take a bath and wash all of the blood off his body. He was living in the clothes, but even he could smell the stink on him. At the top of the stairs was a closed door and it wasn't locked. He carefully opened it and looked through. Apparently he wasn't quiet enough because there was an orc right behind the door who drew his sword and came at Helgrim. He sighed and quickly shot the guy in the leg, then shot another one closer to the heart this time. Unfortunately, this alerted the others in the room to his presence and two others came running. Helgrim dropped the bow and took out his sword to fight them off. He took a few hits, but they both fell to the ground. He panted from the effort of fighting off two at once, but then closed his eyes and silently mouthed the words of healing and placed his hands on his own chest. He felt the heat of healing radiating outward immediately. He wasn't normally one for magic, but being taught how to heal oneself had been one of the best things he'd ever done.

He found fifty one gold on the orc as well as a potion bottle, a silver ingot and some hawk feathers. He took all of it and moved onto the next one. This one only had twenty seven gold pieces on his body, but he also had a bottle of wine that Helgrim took and drank down about half of because he was so thirsty. He put it all in his backpack and found a set of stairs that led down and walked down softly. On this level he found a large room with some tables and benches in it. In an alcove there stood a small chest and he was drawn to it. It was locked, however, and after a quick search, he found that he had some lockpicks. He broke all of them but the last one which opened the chest revealing thirty eight gold pieces and an iron helmet in it. He put the gold into his coin pouch and put the helmet into his backpack. He could sell it later. Then he left the alcove and went to the left of it where there was an open door to a staircase down and a hallway. He went down and followed the wall. It dipped a little before inclining once more. There was a door on the side of this long hallway and it was locked. Since he still had one lockpick left, he attempted to unlock the door, but it broke and he was left wondering what was behind that door.

Helgrim continued down the hallway and peeked around a corner before going around it and continuing on. When it came to another corner, he stopped because he could see a bit of a room beyond. He slowly moved around so he could have a better look of the room. He saw a tantalizing chest across the room against the opposite wall, but held himself back from going into it. There were lots of tables and seats in here with some food. Perhaps it was a mess hall of sorts. He didn't know what type of room it was, all he knew was that there was a couple ruffians sitting at one of the tables. He drew his bow and shot the first one, but could only slow down the other one. They got to him and since he already had an arrow nocked and ready, he shot the woman from point blank range. Even as he disliked it, he did realize that it was getting easier for him to loose the arrows at his foes. He wasn't sure that was a good thing, however. He searched their bodies and found twenty seven gold, another potion, a book called 'Songs of the Return, Vol. 19' and more wine. On the woman he found forty seven gold pieces and some charred meat that after a small taste he discovered was skeever. She also had a potion and some wine. He took all of it and then went through the room.

First he went to the chest and was happy to see that it was unlocked. He opened it and found thirty eight gold and a pair of iron gauntlets. He took it all and closed the chest, then made his way to the table where he found a coin purse with fifteen gold in it. He smiled as he could see just how profitable going through these places and clearing them out of bandits and ruffians could be. After he had gotten what he could out of this room, he went to the open door and found a warm fireplace and some sort of larder. There were rabbits and pheasants hanging here that just begged him to take meat and fur from. He did so and made sure they wouldn't bleed on everything in his knapsack before leaving the room and going to an archway that was barred. A quick look around showed a lever next to it. He pulled it and the bars lowered into the floor. Interesting. Behind the bars was a staircase that led down to a door. He shrugged and figured he might as well keep going and opened the door.

He came into a hallway with barrels along the wall. He didn't stop, just kept going until it became a T intersection. He went to the left and found a small alcove that held another chest. He was able to open it since it was unlocked and discovered forty five gold pieces inside. He grinned as he put them into his pouch and shut the lid once more. As he moved through and collected things he could sell or use in potion making, he thought of Eir and how much she would love it here in Skyrim. Once he had a house and was able to settle down, he would return to Hammerfell for her. He would bring her here to live and they would raise their children here. They would have the freedom to raise them under Talos' guidance as well because he was confident that Ulfric Stormcloak would win the war and religious freedom would be won for all. He headed back down the hallway of the T and to the other side of the intersection. Here there were a lot of barrels that he suspected were casks of alcohol, wine by the sight of all the wine bottles that were sitting around everywhere. When he got to the end of the hallway, he turned right and was discovered by a ruffian who came at him with his sword ready.

Helgrim let loose one arrow before drawing his sword and clashing with the man. A few minutes later and with a few cuts of his own Helgrim stood over the man's dead body. His body was aching and his muscles were shaking, but he'd come out the victor. A search of the man's body yielded him thirty eight more gold pieces that he pocketed. He looked down at where the man had come from and saw more casks of wine. He made his way there and off to his right there was a cage. That was odd to see, but it was there. He was so engrossed with the cage and what might have been in it that he didn't notice the pressure plate on the floor until after he'd stepped on it. Luckily for him, he wasn't close enough to the spiked wall that came flying out toward him. He jumped back and watched it reset itself. He shook his head, made note of where the pressure plate was now and turned to look into the cage. If he had been less educated, he might have been shocked and scared to see the creature lying dead in the cage. Its teeth were huge and the eyes soulless black and empty. The fur almost shimmered in the light, but he knew it to be a trick of the light and not really shining. The creature was a werewolf.

That brought to mind another question. Why would these people have a werewolf in a cage? Granted, it was a dead werewolf, but that didn't mean it was dead when they brought it in here. What exactly were these people doing? He turned away from the dead werewolf and headed down the hallway toward another room. He shivered a bit when he saw a crow's cage hanging from the ceiling. Those things were used as a form of punishment for thieves and rapists. He moved slowly, crouching as he approached the archway and peeked around. There was another archway with what looked like stairs down. He would go there next, but first he went to the shelves and picked up a couple potion bottles and some pieces of armor and weapons that were sitting here. Then he went down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a small room. It was well lit, but he stuck to the shadows. He went around the corner and found another door. It was unlocked, so Helgrim opened it.

Inside was a good sized room with two large wine tanks and a cask tank in it. There were shelves throughout the room as well and on almost all of them were bottles of wine. The orc that was in there must have heard him when he opened the door since he came after him, sword ready. Helgrim shot him twice before he'd been able to get to him, so the man dropped. He searched his body quickly and found forty nine gold pieces. As he was busy checking the orc's body, he heard another set of footsteps and turned just in time to see the khajiit come out and attack. He drew his sword and fought back. The cat lay dead with just two hits and Helgrim sighed, shook his head and searched his body as well. Thirty seven gold richer, Helgrim took what he could from the rest of the room before looking at the opening in the wall that looked like a troll had busted through it. It was filled with snow and ice and he shivered because he could feel the cold already.

"Oh well, can't be helped. I hope the horse is doing alright." Helgrim resigned himself to the fact that he would have to get cold again.

He wrapped the wolf cloak around him and nodded to no one before entering the tunnel. It was cold and he had to be careful where to place his feet lest he slip and fall. He spotted a man in the tunnel ahead of him and put him down quickly with his bow. Unfortunately, there was a second ruffian in the room and the woman charged at him. He was able to shoot her twice before pulling out his sword and dropping the bow. He clanged steel with her until he saw the opening he needed and thrust forward, piercing her heart. She dropped and he pulled his sword back out, wiping the blood off the blade before sliding it back into the scabbard. He collected thirty five gold, more charred skeever meat and the book 'Songs of the Return, Vol. 7' from the man and charred skeever meat, silver ingot and nord mead from the woman. Beyond the bodies of those he had just killed he noticed a larger cave room that held more cages in it. He wondered again what these people were doing, but moved closer all the same.

He went up the snowy ramp to where the cages were located and looked at them. In one he saw a dead horse lying on its side. Odd, but not unheard of. He turned to look at the other cage and was surprised to see another werewolf in it. This one, however, was still alive! As he neared the bars it lunged and he was thankful for the metal between them. He swallowed and watched the creature follow him as he walked alongside the cage. Since he couldn't unlock the cage and he felt bad for leaving it to die of starvation, Helgrim drew the bow and shot the creature dead. A pity since they were normally so strong an opponent he never would have been able to put it down himself. He went back down to the lower level and found an archway out. He walked through it and down the hallway. At the other end he was met with another ruffian that tried to attack him. He growled at the man and struck him down. He felt so tired, but he wanted to go on until he got out of the cold again at least. If he ever did. On this man he found only hawk feathers that he took then he continued through and found himself in an actual torture chamber.

There was blood all over the floor and walls, there was even a dead werewolf in the middle of the room. He moved quickly through this room, not wanting to hang around. He had never endorsed torture since he wouldn't want it done to him. Going through the archway and into a short hallway, he stopped when it turned left and peeked around the corner. He saw more hallway, so he continued along until it turned again. He stopped once more and peeked ahead, it turned right and looked like it opened up to a larger room. He wet his lip slowly and then went down through, stopping at the doorway. He alerted the woman in the room when he shot her companion with the bow and dropped him to the ground. She came rushing up a set of stairs, but not before getting two arrows lodged into her body. When she came in sight again, he shot her once more with the bow and she dropped. He found thirty six gold on the man and nothing worth taking from the woman. There was a large fireplace in this room and he warmed quickly. He took the fur off his body and put it back into his knapsack, then searched the room. He discovered an area behind the fireplace. It had a shelf that held two potion bottles and a coin purse on it. He took all of it and counted the coins to forty five gold.

Helgrim yawned and shook his head. He had gone as far as he could go without sleep. He was hidden from sight behind the fireplace, so he spread out the wolf furs and lay on one and covered with the other. Then he fell into an exhausted sleep that was sure to restore his energy for the next day. His dreams were of Eir, Kenna and Koli as he hoped they were living well and thinking of him. He was not awakened during the night, thankfully. In the morning he ate a quick breakfast of bread and cheese, then drank an ale to wash it all down before setting out again. He packed up his 'blankets' and left the room via a hallway that led down a short ways before turning right, but it turned left almost immediately. Not meeting up with anyone else, he found a staircase up to a door. He opened the door and was in another stone room with a brazier burning brightly, signs that someone had been there recently.  
There was a large staircase that led upstairs and he followed it, staying in the shadows and keeping his bow ready to fire. Apparently he was louder than he thought because a pair of the ruffians came rushing at him on the stairs. He shot the first one before having to draw his sword. He grunted with the effort, but since he was fighting for his life, he managed to fight through the soreness. He killed both of his attackers and took minor damage. He would heal himself later. He searched their bodies and found fifty gold, another potion bottle and the book 'Songs of the Return, Vol. 56'. He took it all and finished going up the stairs. At the top he startled another orc and since he still had his sword out, he used that to kill the man. He pushed him off the sword with his foot and sneered at the body.

"By the Divines! You just keep coming out of the stonework!"

He searched this one's body and found just a potion bottle that he put away. He saw short stairs that went up to a half level in this room. What he found was a large chest and after a quick check to make sure he was alone, he opened the lid. Inside was twenty five gold pieces and a couple weapons that he had a feeling because of the craftsmanship would sell for decent amounts, so he took them. He shut the lid again and turned around. This appeared to be another place for the ruffians to hang out together. He found a coin purse that held ten gold and took it. The only other door in the room was barred from this side and he went to it. Since he had the strength, he lifted the bar and then opened the door. He then found one of the first rooms he had come into. Interesting. He was able to leave the building that had looked so small from the outside. When he got outside he saw the mare grazing where he'd left her. Pretty good since he'd spent the night in there and it was about the same time today that he'd gone in there yesterday. Almost twenty four hours of exploring in that place and the horse hadn't run off. Perhaps she would be a great investment for more than just getting from place to place quicker. He patted her, made sure she wasn't injured and then mounted up to continue their way to Winterhold.

Helgrim looked at the sun's position in the sky and estimated the time to be a few hours before noon. Another pat to the mare's neck and he let her have her head while he dug into his backpack and pulled out a chunk of bread and cheese. He was starving and since he didn't really want to stop just to have a quick meal, he decided he would eat on horseback. The horse had a steady enough walk that he didn't drop anything. They traveled up an incline and the path here became obscured by snow and the wind picked up once more. If there was one thing he hated about Skyrim, he would have to say it was the wind. He could deal with the cold, but it was the wind that cut into the body and stole away any little heat it generated. He figured it wouldn't be such a horrible thing, Skyrim, if the wind wasn't there.

As he rode along the snowy path, huddling into his wolf fur cloak, he thought of the people he'd met so far in Skyrim. Fjolnar. The soldier was almost surely headed back to Windhelm to take command of his troop in the Stormcloak army. He missed the guy and he'd only known him for a day. At least he was a companion. That thought had Helgrim looking at the mare. A companion that could talk back at least. He smiled and then let out a soft sigh and shifted in the saddle. Rustleif and his wife Seren. He wondered when their baby would be born and whether or not they would ever get to Hammerfell to visit after the child was born. He really liked that couple. Thoring, Karita and Abelone. Helgrim had to wonder what happened to Karita's mother, but he never asked because he thought that would be rude. He hoped Thoring would meet another woman at some point. Something he didn't like thinking about is Karita finding a suitor. He felt like a protective big brother when he thought of her and wished he could be there to keep any men in line if they wanted to be with her. Then there was Abelone. She had been pretty enough and if he had not already been in love with Eir he would have taken her up on her numerous offers. He sent a prayer to Talos that she would find the man of her dreams soon enough. Finally there was Frida. She was elderly, sure, but the woman had spirit and he had a feeling she wouldn't be passing away any time soon. He looked forward to learning more alchemy tricks from her at some point.

He realized that he had actually made many friends already in this new land and he was very grateful for them all. Each one of them had something different to offer in friendship and all were welcome. Since he didn't have any family in the area it made him think of them all as a sort of makeshift family and that was something he took very much to heart. It was never a light thing when he called another a member of his family. The only other actual family he knew about lived in Kynesgrove, but he had a feeling there were other Frost-Bloods in Skyrim, he just hadn't met any yet. The mare snorted beneath him and he came out of his musings to see what it was that had gotten her attention. He looked around and held the reins as she walked tensely beneath him. There was nothing around him that he could see, but still she persisted in acting nervous. That was odd, but he shrugged and urged her onward.

Leaning forward to reassure the mare he saw something out of the corner of his eye and turned to look. The only thing he saw was the glow of a pair of eyes in the trees. The canopy of evergreens had cast a darkness over the ground below, giving everything the shadows they needed to hide. When he saw those eyes he knew that it was a predator watching them. What worried him was that the height those eyes sat at was not normal. They weren't the eyes of a wolf or a bear. They were higher than that. He would never admit to being scared, but if he ever did, this would be one of the situations he would. He swallowed to wet his suddenly dry throat and patted the mare's neck. The animal didn't lunge out and attack, but that didn't mean it wouldn't at some point.

"Come on, girl. Let's keep going. Just a little further," Helgrim whispered to the mare, then sat up slowly and urged her forward again.

He constantly reassured the mare who was very nervous because she, too, sensed the predator watching them. He didn't know why it didn't just jump out and attack them. If his calculations were correct, the animal was slightly larger than even his horse stood. It could easily take down the both of them. So why didn't it? This question had him pondering silently, but also watching the trees for another sight of the creature. He would catch a glimpse here and there of the eyes and knew it was following them. His adrenaline was pumping because he wasn't sure what to do. Should he stop and shoot it or hurry the mare along and try to outrun it. Perhaps it was an animal that didn't like daylight? A vampiric dire bear perhaps? Regardless of the reason, it didn't attack, just observed them. One of the advantages of the animal's appearance was that it kept his mind off the freezing wind and the way it sucked every bit of heat out of his body.

"What do you suppose it is, horse? I'm guessing a vampy dire bear. It doesn't like the sun so it can't come out and attack." He chuckled a little and then patted the mare's neck when she snorted and snapped her tail. She obviously didn't take his humor too well. "Alright, but it is starting to freak even me out." That earned a whicker from the horse and Helgrim smiled. He had a companion and she had her own sense of humor and seemed to understand what he said. Perhaps that was just his wishful thinking since he was so alone on this journey, but he didn't care. It was keeping him from going completely crazy and talking to himself to get through the monotonous hours of traveling through the snow. Speaking of which, if he wasn't careful he would get lost because one slightly snow covered tree looked like the next one. At least he had some training in moving through the wilderness since his father was a hunter and had taken him and his siblings out with him from time to time. It made it so that he was fairly certain he was traveling in the right direction.

When he looked for the eyes again he noticed they were gone. Strange, but not unheard of. Perhaps the creature got tired of following them or maybe it was moving around for a better position to ambush them from. Either way, he felt the instant change in the mare as she relaxed and so he relaxed too. He would have to ask in Winterhold if they knew of an animal that was that tall. He prayed he hadn't just thought it up because if that was where his mind was at then he didn't really want to think about that. Maybe he shouldn't say anything so he wouldn't appear crazy. It wasn't like he actually saw the creature's body so he had no way of knowing what it was. He couldn't describe it, only the eyes. They had been piercing, like they knew exactly who he was and what he was doing. He never felt that the thing was going to leap out and attack, at least not until it disappeared. He stayed alert, but was glad it didn't show back up.

Helgrim shifted in the saddle once again as they headed down a snowy hill and followed the road through the woods. Ahead of them was a clearing and he pulled the horse up as he spotted people walking around. They looked like mages, but apparently they didn't like his arrival since one of them tossed a fireball close to him and the horse. The mare squealed and reared, backing quickly. He narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth, then dismounted and pulled his bow at the same time. He needn't have bothered with the bow, though. By the time he had nocked the first arrow and aimed in the mage's direction, the man lay dead beside the alchemy table he'd been working at. Helgrim had enough time to laugh under his breath and turned to the other mage, just in time to see that man fall beneath the mare's hooves. As he shook his head, her name came to him. Matilda.

"As the brave lass Matilda charged in full of zeal," Helgrim sung softly and whistled to the horse who trotted back over to him like she'd been trained to do so. "Well, Matilda, thanks for helping me out. No one stands a chance against you, lass." He patted her neck lightly.

He let her graze from the bushes as he checked the bodies for anything useful. Not finding much he shrugged and mounted the mare again. Matilda. It was as if she had whispered her name to him. As he spoke to her, using the name, the mare seemed to listen more than before. It might have just been his mind playing tricks, but that was fine with him. He wanted to believe that Matilda understood him now that he knew her name. He urged her through the clearing to the other side where the path went up an incline and around a rock. Ragnar the Red was his favorite tavern song and it was ironic that the mare's name would fit so well with the shieldmaiden in the song. It was perfect, actually. It also made him look forward to what else she would do as they traveled and the years to come. No way was he giving her up. She was his horse for life.

He hummed the tune as he rode along the snowy road. He pulled out one of the bottles of mead that he had found, took the cork out and sipped from it. The alcohol would help to keep him warm as the wind stirred up again something fierce and chilled him straight to the bone. He had been told about the cold weather in Skyrim, first by his parents and then by everyone in Dawnstar, but to find oneself out in it was something else. Even the wolf cloak wasn't doing much at this point to keep him warm. His thoughts were on Winterhold and hoped they had a warm inn he could stay in. Yawning, Helgrim stuck the now empty mead bottle back into his knapsack and stretched. It was after noon now, the sun on the other side of the high point. He guessed it to be around two or three o'clock in the afternoon, but he couldn't be a hundred percent sure. There was no true way of telling time without a stationary sun dial and he wasn't about to carry one of those around everywhere.

He spotted a tower ahead of them and wondered where that was. He checked the map again, but there was no mention of any tower. Already he had filled in two places on Karita's map. She would be delighted at a third. He grinned and did so with the charcoal and tucked them both away. As he approached the tower, he heard a man shout out at them and he frowned. Yet again he wasn't to be invited in to sit at the fire. Why must they always go on the attack? Sighing, he dismounted from Matilda and readied his bow. The mare squealed as an arrow flew past her and she charged up the hill toward the man at the bottom of a set of stairs. Helgrim shook his head and followed, but by the time he got to the top of the hill, the bandit was dead. He laughed and patted her neck, then checked his body over. He found a sturdier cloak than the one he had made and switched it. He immediately felt the difference and was warmer. Before he could enjoy it, though, he heard another man inside and crouched as he made his way up the stairs to the entrance to the tower. He stepped inside out of the wind and looked around. The only thing here was a stairway up, so he followed it. As he got to the second level, he spied a chest sitting to the side along with a taxidermied wolf's head on the wall. He shook his head and then heard the man yell out at him.

"You can't hide from me!"

Helgrim remained where he was until the man came into view at the top of another staircase that led to a third floor of the tower. He hadn't been spotted yet and so he pulled the arrow back and let it fly. It struck the bandit in the shoulder and knocked him back a little. He fired another one that hit him in the chest. He heard the man gurgle and then he dropped, sliding down the stairs to lay at his feet. Dead. He had no pity for these men. They were thieves, he was sure of it. He hadn't even had a weapon drawn outside before they came at him. Whatever they got they deserved. He searched the man's body and found fifty gold pieces and some nice armor pieces that he stowed away. He also went to the chest he'd seen and found a coin purse sitting beside it with two silver ingot bars. He counted the coins in the pouch, seven gold, then put it with his own gold. He put the bars into his bag and opened the chest. Inside were four lockpicks, a battleaxe and forty six gold pieces. He took them all and shut the lid. He rose back to his feet and looked around the tower. He found a landing on the second level that led back outside and he could see the road again from here. He went back through the tower and walked to the mare.  
"Alright, Matilda, time to see just how brave you are. Come on. Time to come inside." He patted her neck and led her up the stairs to the entrance and after a brief hesitation, she walked inside the tower. She snorted and stomped nervously, but she didn't stop again. He then led her up the stone stairs, careful to make sure she wasn't slipping or setting a foot down wrong. As he brought her up to the second level landing and she saw the outdoors, he smiled at the perk of her ears. She was a brave lass after all. He waited until they were on the snow once more and then he mounted up and urged her forward.  
"Good girl, now let's get on the road again. I'd like to reach Winterhold tonight."

The pair moved on at a ground-eating canter and for once Helgrim wasn't worrying about how cold it was. He could snuggle into the warmer cloak and ride on. They were on the road for an hour and the sun began to dip toward the horizon. He hoped they were close, he wasn't looking forward to spending another night outside. He wanted a bed. When they crested a hill, he looked down and could see the town. It wasn't large, possibly smaller even than Dawnstar, but it was a town. He could see people walking around. They'd made it! He pressed his heels into Matilda's sides and she switched into a canter again, making the last bit of travel easily on the road. They came into town at a trot, however, and Helgrim stopped her at the stable and dismounted.

"You be a good girl, Matilda. I'll see you in the morning." He patted her once again, made sure she had hay and her tack was removed and stored away for tomorrow. Then he arranged with the stable-boy to have her looked after and groomed. After that was done, he went toward the inn to make sure HE was taken care of. The sign read Frozen Hearth Inn and he hoped they were just joking because he was looking forward to the warmth of a fireplace to sit and allow his toes to thaw. He walked inside and was enveloped with the warmth. He smiled and went to a table to sit. After a warm meal, he went to the tender behind the bar and greeted the man.

"Good evening."

"Hello traveler. Welcome to Winterhold. I'm Dagur. How may I help you?"

"I would love to rent a room if I can."

"Of course. It's ten gold a night."

"Reasonable, Dagur. Here you go. Thanks."

"Very good. Here, I'll show you to your room." The man left the counter and started to walk toward a room off to the side.

"Thank you." Helgrim followed tiredly.

"Where are you traveling from...?" Dagur asked, pausing because he didn't know the man's name.  
"Helgrim. I'm coming from Hammerfell, actually, but most recently I had spent a month in Dawnstar and am coming from there."

"Ah, Hammerfell. A nice place. Warmer than here, that's for sure. Well, here we are. Enjoy your stay, Helgrim."

"Thank you. Good night."

"Good night."

They parted ways and Helgrim went into the room and shut the door. He sighed and didn't even bother getting out of his dirty, stinky clothes before falling onto the bed. He was so exhausted and ready for sleep. Not for the first time he thought that perhaps he should have just ridden past the places he had gone into on the way here, but he knew that what he had gained would give him a much better "nest egg" to put away for when he went to get Eir and bring her back here. They would have a wonderful life together. It was that thought that was last in his head as he fell asleep. He slept for two days.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In the morning Helgrim woke with soreness in muscles he hadn't even realized he had. He groaned, but sat up and rubbed his face to get the sleep out. Then he stood up and stretched, wincing with the pain of doing so, but knowing it was necessary. He undressed and poured the water from the pitcher into the bowl and took a rag to start washing up. He didn't have time for a full bath right now. Now that he had made it to Winterhold, he could stay a few days and recuperate the strength he'd lost from the trip here, but there was still a lot that he needed to get done. After the cold sponge bath, he dressed in his other clothes and decided he would have to wash the other ones. Either that or he would just burn them and buy some new clothes. One way or another he would be better off with putting his other set of clothes on. Then he went through everything that he had collected thus far. He had a traveling cloak now so he would be able to sell the wolf furs. He was sure he could find a bed roll here and perhaps even a tent so that he might not need to sleep in the snow without protection again. He had a lot of items he could sell if he could just find the right person to buy them.

He left the room after putting the backpack back on and walked out into the common room of the inn. The fire was warm and he sighed, standing there a moment before turning and going to the counter. The man he had spoken to last night, Dagur, was tending the bar and cleaning it with a rag. When he sat down on the stool, the man came over and smiled.

"Morning, Helgrim. Did you sleep alright?"

"Yes, thank you, Dagur. Tell me, is it always so empty here?"

"Ah, well, Winterhold's been falling on hard times as of late. We get enough business, I suppose. We're still here, after all."

"I'll help you out. Could I have some bread and cheese with a mug of ale, please?" Helgrim asked as he dug into the coin purse for the money.

"Sure can. I'll have my wife, Haran, bring it to you at one of the tables."

Helgrim nodded at the man, paid for his meal and then walked over to a table and sat down. Not far away was a man who seemed to be rather drunk. As he thought it was a tad early to be so drunk, he turned away from the man. His experience with drunkards was that they didn't like to be disturbed when they were drinking. He wasn't about to start a fight with the man simply to lecture about his drinking. Before long Haran brought his meal over and he smiled at her. He hadn't really met her last night, but from the way that Dagur looked when he spoke of her he understood that she was a nice woman. He thanked her and then started to eat his breakfast. The ale tasted stale, but he didn't care. It was liquid that wasn't melted snow. He ate the bread and cheese, savoring the taste of the mundane food. It was nothing special, but to Helgrim it was so good. When he got to Kynesgrove he was going to not go anywhere for a long time. He would probably get a job working around Kynesgrove before he went to join the army. A little peace and quiet would make him feel rested certainly.

After his meal, he handed Haran a few gold as a tip for her service and then left the Frozen Hearth Inn to explore the town. He huddled into the cloak and looked across the way. He saw a large, three story structure that had a flag outside of the doors. The Jarl's house, no doubt. He steered clear of it and turned to head to the stables to check on Matilda. He entered the building and found her in a stall munching hay contentedly. He smiled when she looked up and saw him there. She whickered and came to the rope across the doorway. He went over to her and patted her head softly, scratching in between her eyes. She closed her eyes and lowered her head even more, relaxing. Helgrim then moved to her neck, resting his forehead on her own.

"We're almost home, Matilda. Just a few more days and we'll be in Kynesgrove. Just a few more days."  
He then stood up and patted her once more before turning and leaving the stable. She was doing fine so he figured that he would look around a little. He passed by what he suspected was the Jarl's house and continued down the street. He saw where there were homes that were only ruins now and wondered about that, about the whole town actually. What happened here to make it so small and so sparse? Shrugging, he saw a sign hanging from a pole above a door denoting that inside was a shop. He opened the door and stepped in, feeling the warmth. He shook off the chill and smiled at the woman behind the counter.

"Welcome to Birna's Oddments. I'm Birna."

"Thanks. Helgrim. What sort of shop is this, Birna?"

"It's a mish-mash of items. I get what I can and sell what I can. Honestly, I don't even know why I try because my fool brother is always spending whatever we make on drink."

Helgrim didn't say anything to that since he was of a mind that you look out for your family, you don't take what they earn and spend it on something so stupid as alcohol. He enjoyed a good drink here and there, who didn't, but he understood that it should be his own money that he used to get that drink. Instead, he switched the topic back to that of his reason for being there.

"I came in today to sell some of the items I collected through my travels." He started to pull out the items that he couldn't sell at the blacksmith or potion shop in Dawnstar. By the time he was finished, he was once again flush with money. He now carried over three thousand gold pieces in his money pouch. It had become such an issue that he was very careful as he said goodbye to her and left the shop. He headed back to the inn and remained there for the rest of the day, afraid to leave again in case someone decided he looked like a good target for pickpocketing.

After Helgrim spent another day in Winterhold, he decided that he needed to at least talk to the people in the inn and find out how to get to Kynesgrove. He smiled and left his room, utilizing the chest that was in it to hide his backpack with his carefully hidden money purse inside and underneath the bag. He went up to the innkeeper, Dagur, and sat down at the bar. He waited until the man came back over to him and grinned, letting his easy going nature flow freely.

"Good day, Dagur."

"And to you, Helgrim."

"I was hoping I could enlist your aid, Dagur." He pulled the map out of his pocket and laid it on the counter, then looked at the man. "I am on my way home to Kynesgrove. I'm sure you can tell that I'm not from around here. I actually grew up in Hammerfell, but I've decided to return to my home in Kynesgrove. Unfortunately, the ship that was supposed to land in Windhelm wrecked off the coast near Dawnstar." He took a sip of his ale and watched Dagur in case he thought to take him out and steal his stuff. He didn't know the man, but was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here.

"Aye. I see. You've had a bad way of it then, eh? The only way to get to Kynesgrove from here is to head down south toward Windhelm. Kynesgrove is within a few hours ride from there. If you follow the main road outta here it'll take you right to Windhelm."

"Oh, thank you. You don't know how much that makes me happy. I'm so ready to finally reach home that I'm tempted to just ride Matilda straight through, but that wouldn't be right of me. She, too, needs her rest the same as I. Tell me, how long should it take me to reach Windhelm if I stop at night to rest?"  
"Hmm, I'm not sure. Let me ask Nelacar." Then he motioned his hand up to get the attention of a man wearing what looked like mages robes. "Nelacar, this is Helgrim. He's looking to get to Kynesgrove. How long is it from here to Windhelm by hoof if you're resting at night?"

"Resting at night? Oh, I'd say probably three days. You might be able to push it in two days, but your horse would be knackered."

"Thank you, Nelacar. There you go, Helgrim. Three days if you don't want to kill your horse. That help?"

"Yes, thank you both. I suppose I should probably stay the day and leave out at dawn tomorrow." Helgrim nodded to both of them and went back into his room. Sure, he was being antisocial, but he was paranoid that they were going to steal his money. His money that he worked very hard to earn. He lay on his bed, his coin purse now beneath his head and not in the chest, and thought of his journey here. He'd come so far and already he was finding it rough. It had been days since he'd actually shaved his beard. His hair had grown at least an inch since he had been here. He hadn't heard anything from his family or Eir yet, but he didn't really expect to. It had only been two weeks since he sent his letters to them. A couple more weeks and he should hear back from them. Perhaps in the next letter he could send money home to his family so that they, too, could come home to Skyrim eventually.  
He slept fitfully that night, and in the morning when he woke with the dawn, he dressed quietly and put his backpack on, slipped into the common tavern room of the inn, put his money for the room on the counter and went outside. The first place he went to was the stable and he found Matilda in her stall munching on hay happily. He sighed and slipped into the stall to give her a huge hug. He then found her tack and got her saddled and ready, then left the stable, mounted up and turned toward the only way out of town. Winterhold was a depressing little town and he was glad to be saying farewell to it. Perhaps someday he would return and be in better spirits about the whole thing, but right now he just wanted to get to Kynesgrove and relax.

"Come on, Tilly. We're on our way and we have a three day trek ahead of us."

Helgrim urged her on into a canter and they pair moved along the ground easily. None saw the Nord riding out of town save for one that remained unseen. The eyes glowed in the shadows and moved as the animal followed the man and horse once again. Silently, stealthily. In fact he didn't even notice they were being followed until they had gotten a fair distance from town. He rode alongside a mountain to his right and a cliff down to his left. He could have sworn the snow was playing tricks with his eyes because he was sure that he saw that creature's eyes again. He still had no idea what type of creature it was because all he ever caught sight of were the eyes. They glowed almost blue, something he'd only seen in people and Matilda and possibly a few dogs. This thing was definitely not a dog. He didn't panic, though. If the thing wanted to attack him it would have by now. Apparently it was just watching him. The reason hadn't revealed itself yet, but he was confident that it would eventually.  
About an hour away from town he passed a mine and stopped Matilda. He dismounted and went up to the owner who introduced himself as Thorgar. A quick chat revealed the mine was called the Whistling Mine and it had lodes of iron in its depths. According to Thorgar, however, they were going to strike it rich by exposing silver or gold soon enough. He thought that he was paranoid about his money but this man put him to shame with the way he felt about the mine. He was warned by Thorgar that it belonged to him and not to forget it. Thanking the man, he mounted Matilda once again and continued down the road. The people here were interesting, even if they were a tad strange. He guessed that to some he was looked at as strange as well. It didn't bother him really. Ever since he had been a lad of five and led a hunting dog away from its prey there had been talk that he had cursed elf blood in his veins. He didn't, both of his parents were Nords, and he just had a gift with animals, but people didn't care about stuff as mundane as that. They were always looking for the drama they could scandalize people with.

They rode for another hour or so before Helgrim once more dismounted from the horse. In front of him were a group of three bandits intent upon robbing him of his valuables. He tried to warn them, but unfortunately for them Matilda didn't have that same capability and charged after them. He simply stood there and laughed before pulling his blade and darting in to stab one of the men in the back as they attacked the mare. Then he jumped back and crouched. Matilda seemed to know her own strength and stopped fighting the last man. She snorted and snapped her teeth at the air, causing the guy to stumble backwards and fall to the ground. It was as if she was playing with the bandit on the ground. A cat toying with the mouse for sure.

"Tilly, cut it. Step back," Helgrim instructed and surprisingly the mare listened. This gave the man on the ground the time he needed to get back up, but not before Helgrim noticed him. "I should warn you. If you run she'll chase you down." Then he grinned at the guy.

The man turned and ran down the road. Helgrim never said a thing. Didn't give her a command or anything of the sort. The mare pinned her ears at the man running away and squealed, then took off after him. Helgrim turned to watch and saw the horse knock him down. The man didn't get back up again. He had to wonder if Talos had brought Matilda to him because she was one hell of a war horse. Something that any Nord would die for and he had one. If he could have brought her into the inn with him to sleep in his room he would have done so. She deserved to be treated much better than a stall in a stable with hay to eat. He would make her a warm mash when they got to Kynesgrove, he determined.

"Come on, Tilly," Helgrim called and she came over and allowed him to mount up again. They started down the road once more and he began to look for a place to stay for the night now. He was about to give up and look for a place in the snow to sleep when he spotted a cave up ahead. He figured that a cave was large enough to bring the horse into as he got closer, he could even make sure that Matilda was warmer than she would be outside of it. Good thing, too, because it was starting to snow again. The wind whipped around and Helgrim shivered with it all. They reached the cave when dark arrived and he dismounted, leading her inside. He inspected it carefully. Not going all that far into the cave, he settled Matilda and took the saddle off. Then he started a fire and laid out his bedroll near it. That had been a useful item to purchase, he told himself. He could already see many uses for it in the future. After a quick supper of wolf meat for him and a bowl of carrots and apples for Matilda, he lay down to sleep for the night. It felt much better having his horse next to him and he slept restfully without waking up until morning.

Helgrim was awakened in the morning by the soft touch of a warm muzzle as it snuffled his face just before a wet tongue came out and licked him. He sputtered and opened his eyes to find him looking directly into those of his mare, Matilda. He laughed and patted her neck lightly before playfully pushing her away.

"Come on, Tilly, out of my face. Blech!" he said as he wiped his face off and rose to stand, stretching. "I just might rethink this whole 'sleeping with my horse' thing if you keep that up," he teased and then started to work on getting their breakfast made.

Twenty minutes later she had a warm mash to eat and he was eating some bread and cheese with a bottle of ale to wash it down. He took out the map from his pocket and looked it over. Dagur had gone and put a few more places on the map to help him find his way and from what he was seeing, this was Stillborn Cave. These places had some rather depressing names. Forsaken Cave, Stillborn Cave... What was next, Outcast Outpost? It hadn't taken him all that long to get here from Winterhold, though the fight with the bandits on the road had cost them about a half hour of traveling. No matter, he should be able to get to the Windhelm stables by the end of the day or if not at least to Anga's Mill. He could only hope that Anga would allow him to stay there the night if he couldn't reach Windhelm before darkness fell.

After their breakfast was finished, he packed up his things and saddled Matilda before tugging on his cloak and pulling the backpack on. Then he led the mare out of the cave and into the daylight. The sun was playing a trick on him because it made it look warm and inviting, but it was freezing cold out here. A few snowflakes were still falling and he shivered. Matilda nudged him with her muzzle and whickered softly to him. He smiled and patted her nose, then moved to her side and mounted up.

"Come on, girl. We've got a distance to go today."

Matilda snorted and moved into a canter on her own, carrying Helgrim down the road swiftly. He was quickly finding this horse to be invaluable to him and he knew that if anything ever happened to her he would be beside himself with grief. He'd gotten attached to a few horses in Hammerfell, but they hadn't been his own. As a blacksmith, he'd had to put shoes on a lot of horses, but there were some that he had worked on that had shown the intelligence that he had come to believe horses have within. Whenever he had talked to his brother about it he had been laughed at, but Eir got it. She understood. Matilda was no different. He knew she was intelligent. He had not known many horses, if any, that would run a thief down and kill him because he threatened the horse's rider. She does, though, and that made Helgrim wonder what made her tick. She didn't hate people or she would have been a vicious horse for some time and Abelone would have known about the issues and said something.

Eir would have a field day with Matilda. He could see them interacting together in his mind. Matilda would run behind Eir lipping at her hair and Eir would laugh then turn around and hug the mare. He smiled and absently patted the mare as she cantered down the road. It was a good thing she was such a good horse because he certainly wasn't paying attention. It wasn't until a branch nearly wiped him off her back that he came back to paying attention. He shook his head and slowed the mare to a walk so he could look at the map and see how far they might have gone. Unfortunately there weren't any landmarks that he could use to pinpoint where they were so he put the map back into his pocket and urged Matilda into a trot.

"We have to keep our eyes peeled, Tilly. I don't wanna miss that turn."

Thirty minutes later he saw a stone structure up ahead and slowed Matilda to a walk again so he could see where that was. When he took the map out and looked he read it was the Fort Kastav they were approaching. From what Dagur had said he should ride through the pass quickly because he'd heard that there were some pretty tough mages holed up in there that could do some damage if they were to attack him. He tucked the map away again and looked down at Matilda.

"Well, girl, it's time for some galloping. Think you're up for it?"

The mare tossed her head and snorted, stomping in place before snapping her tail as if to say that she was more than ready for it. Helgrim smiled and patted her neck and then crouched over her neck to make him less of a target and whispered in her ear to "go". The mare leaped forward with power that he hadn't even known she had been storing and before he knew it they were galloping along the road. The mare's hooves thundered as she rushed past the fort's stone walls. He heard someone call out an alarm, but by then he and the mare were already past the entrance. Though he did feel the blast of a few fireballs that were thrown his way and landed off to the side. Matilda, too, felt them because she would dodge sideways in stride and he was impressed by that as well. Not only could she fight like a Nord warrior, but she could dodge out of the way like a Khajiit thief. Interesting.

They ran for another thirty minutes before Helgrim pulled her up to a walk and checked her over from horseback to make sure she wasn't hurt. He sighed and leaned forward, hugging her neck. Sure, he was getting very attached to her, but when a horse steps in front of you to fight off thieves and dodges out of the way of fireballs, what else could you do? He sent a prayer into the wind to thank Talos for bringing the mare to him and asked him to continue to keep him safe on his journey. Once he was sure they were both fine, he dug in his backpack while keeping her walking and pulled out another slice of cheese and some hay. He held onto the cheese and leaned forward again, offering the hay to the horse. Matilda took it gratefully and munched noisily. Helgrim smiled and chewed on his cheese. It was their lunch, eaten while moving to make sure they kept on task and stayed on track for time. Since they galloped some of the way they should be ahead of schedule and might actually make the stables before dark.  
As the pair traveled, Helgrim needed something to do so he started talking to Matilda. He told her all about his family and all about Eir. He spoke of how he'd learned to blacksmith from Eir's father and gone hunting with his own father. How he had come to fall in love with Eir and she with him. How he had said his goodbyes the night before he left Hammerfell. At times the mare would snort as if she were commenting about his words, but that was ridiculous. He went on to tell about his trip by carriage, ship and caravan, then about the shipwreck and arriving in Dawnstar. He was sure the horse didn't care about what he was saying, but at least it kept him from being bored and tired.

The snow covered road soon gave way to one that was only dirt. It made him take the map out again and saw that soon he would have to take a left to get on the road that would take him to Windhelm. Within ten minutes of looking at the map he came upon the turn. He figured that since they were heading in a southern direction that it was only natural for the road to be dirt and not covered in snow. It didn't make it any warmer, however, and he huddled into the cloak to keep whatever warmth he had inside his body where it was instead of being whipped away by the wind. At least he had a hardy constitution so he hadn't gotten sick from being out in the cold, not to mention all that time spent in the freezing water. Perhaps it had something to do with him being a Nord, maybe he was just naturally used to it more than the other races. Whatever the reason, he was glad for it. Being sick and taking this journey would suck big time.

Helgrim heard the river long before he saw it and decided to stop and let Matilda get a drink as well as take a break for himself. So when the river finally came into view, he slowed her down to a walk, then a stop and dismounted. He removed the bridle from her head and let her get a drink from the cold water. He pulled a bottle of wine from his bag and took a few sips of the liquid. He found a rock and sat upon it as he watched the sun dance over the moving water. Matilda splashed in the water and Helgrim laughed heartily at her play. This is what horses were supposed to do, not chase after thieves and kill them. Not that he was about to complain. Having a companion like Matilda was one of the best things he could have right now. She was keeping him sane, keeping him moving and giving him a purpose. Plus, he wanted to make sure he got to show her to Eir. After a little bit of a rest, he called the mare and she came up to him with a whicker, then placed her head in his arms so he could put the bridle back on her. Then he swung up into the saddle and turned her back onto the road.

Now that the two of them were refreshed they trotted down the road at a good clip and soon came up to a small group of buildings. He checked the map and saw that it was Anga's Mill he was approaching and checked the sky to see how much daylight they had left. He wasn't sure how much further Windhelm was, but if he stayed here tonight they could get on the road in the morning and easily make it to Windhelm. Making the decision to stop, Helgrim pulled Matilda to a halt outside the first house and dismounted. He let her wander and walked up to the door to knock upon the wood.

"Who's there?"

"Good day, miss. My name is Helgrim and I was hoping to make Windhelm tonight, but it doesn't appear that is a viable option since the sun is already starting to set."

"Yeah?"  
"I uh, was hoping that you might uh, have a spare bed or even space on the floor that I might be able to stay for the night?" Helgrim wasn't nervous or anything. He just knew how it sounded to a stranger. The woman appeared to think about his words, though.

"Aeri is my name. I guess if you're willing to cut up the last of the lumber at the mill I could let you stay the night."

"Just cut up some lumber? I can do that. Thank you, Aeri." Helgrim gave her a nod and a kind smile, then turned and led Matilda over to a spot of grass and took her saddle and bridle off so she could graze.

He knew the mare well enough by now to know she wouldn't wander away. Then he made his way to the lumber mill and walked up the ramp to where the logs sat. He pulled one of the logs off the pile and loaded it onto the belt that brought it toward the saw. He didn't wait for it to be cut and turned, already getting the next one ready. There was a pile of about twenty logs and it took him the rest of the daylight to get them all cut, but they were all sawn by the time full dark set in. He walked down the ramp again and patted Matilda's rump lightly.

"You be a good girl tonight, Tilly. Here's some hay for you." He pulled some of the hay out of his knapsack and put it on the ground beside her. Then he walked back to the house and knocked on the door.  
"I've finished those logs, Aeri," Helgrim said to the woman after she opened the door. He saw her look at the mill and see that indeed the pile of logs was gone. She smiled and then stepped back, allowing him inside. As he went in he saw that it was a common area, with no separation. There were several beds here and two of them were being used, he noticed.

"Those are my employees, Kodrir and Leifur. They won't cause you any trouble. Thank you for taking care of that last load of logs. Maybe now I can get the order for Skald the Elder filled and shipped back to Dawnstar," she murmured and turned away.

"Dawnstar? I was there not that long ago. Does the Jarl's reach extend this far out?"

"Of course, though I think we might be on the furthest edge of the territory. I do business in Windhelm also."

"I would think so, if it is as close as I think it is. Well, thank you again for the use of one of your beds. It's better than sleeping outside in the snow."

"Oh dear, is that what you've been doing? Divines bless you, why are you sleeping outside?"

"I'm a traveler from Hammerfell, actually, though I was born here in Skyrim. My ship was supposed to dock in Windhelm, but it wrecked off the coast of Dawnstar and I've been making my way here. First on foot, but now that I have Matilda the traveling is much quicker."

"Hammerfell? A shipwreck? How exciting that sounds, though I bet it has been very hard on you." Helgrim saw her look down at her hands coyly and swallowed. He hoped he wouldn't have another Abelone situation on his hands. She was pretty, but he had Eir already.

"Yes, well, it's been a tiring day. Thank you again." Helgrim yawned to show he was tired and Aeri got the message. She welcomed him, then excused herself and left the house.

He looked around the room and could see that the other two were already asleep. He would be soon enough. As he secured his backpack to the bedpost and tucked his coin purse into his shirt so he would feel if anyone tried to take it away from him, he fell asleep and dreamed of his home in Hammerfell. He dreamed of spending the day with Kenna, instructing her on her reading and writing, then taking Eir for a picnic. He knew it was a dream, however, because Matilda was there, lipping at Eir's hair and making her laugh. He sighed and morning came way too early for him. The light came in through the windows and he stretched slowly, yawning a few times as he woke up. He found a bowl and pitcher of water and washed up quickly before putting his cloak back on and then the backpack. He took one last look around and then left the house. Matilda rose to her feet from her position on the ground and shook the snow off her coat, snorting. He smiled and went to her, patting her neck. He gave her a bowl of oats and then brushed her quickly with a handful of hay before saddling her up. He heard the saw running and logs being cut and watched the two men who worked for Aeri move the logs around. They must have been up before the sun to get the logs up there.

"Well Tilly, it's time we set out to Windhelm. We should be able to reach the city by noon. I might even be able to get rid of the last of this stuff." He shook the backpack and smiled as she finished her oats. "Then we can find out how long it will take to get to Kynesgrove. I'm excited. I'm ready. I've not seen my cousin since I was a lad of just two years old. I wonder if I will even recognize Iddra when we get there or if she will even recognize me." He put the bowl away and bridled the mare before mounting up. He waved to Aeri who was busy working and turned onto the road that would take him to Windhelm.

The road to Windhelm was not that rough and they were not bothered by any bandits or thieves or Imperials. All very good things, indeed. They rode over a stone bridge that went over the river that they had gotten a drink from the day before and continued the trek along the road. It had become snow covered again and he heard Matilda's hooves crunch each time she took a step, but it couldn't be helped. As they trotted along he looked at the landscape and was still amazed. He couldn't get over how spectacular Skyrim looked. He'd seen mountains in Hammerfell, sure, but here in Skyrim they were something else. With peaks that went so high that they were in the clouds and were covered in snow, they made him feel very small and insignificant at times. Today he was on his way home, though. At least he expected to be able to get there today.

Another twenty minutes and they had come to an area where a road went to the right and then the road they were on continued straight. He'd been told by Aeri at breakfast that there was a shrine to Talos down the road that went right and that Windhelm was straight ahead. He looked at the sun and guessed he had enough time to look for the shrine. If nothing else he could leave a gift for his deity and pray before heading back to Windhelm. With a smile, he turned Matilda down the road to the right and walked her. He wasn't sure how far down he had to go, but figured that if it took more than an hour he would turn back and go to Windhelm. There was sure to be one located in the city that was home to the Stormcloak army. The sun was warming as he rode the horse down the road and soon came to a path that led uphill off the road he was on currently. It was the first offshoot, so he decided to follow it.

Matilda cantered up the hill easily and Helgrim enjoyed looking at the view. Not only could he see the shrine ahead of him, he could see Windhelm in the distance. It all made for an exquisite picture. He dismounted from the mare as they reached the shrine steps and he patted her, then took the knapsack off his back and detached one of the weapons he'd tied onto the pack and laid the sword at the feet of the stone Talos. He knelt and said his silent prayer. When he stood up, he grinned and turned back to Matilda.

"Well, Tilly, we have his guidance for a little while longer. I am pleased to find that I can still worship Talos even in Skyrim. I just have to be more discreet about it." He laughed and then mounted the horse again, turned her away from the shrine and back down the path that led to the road. When they got back onto the road, he turned her right to head in the direction they'd come from recently which would lead them back to Windhelm. He felt much better about the rest of the journey since he was able to pray to Talos. Back home they had prayed to Talos at least three times a day. He always felt better about doing so at a shrine or in a temple, but he understood enough to know he could pray to Talos anywhere. He had done so several times during his trip already. They made it back to the "main" road and turned right once again, trotting across another stone bridge.

Matilda snorted and tossed her head after they reached the other side and the wind whipped back into her face. He could see the stables and the horses milling around it so he guessed that she probably got a pretty good whiff of the horses that were there. Maybe there was a horse that was giving off a bad vibe. He shrugged and patted her neck softly, then urged her forward with his heels. She walked on, but was nervous. She hadn't acted this way since... Helgrim turned to look at the rocky woods on the other side of the road and searched. Now that he was aware, he felt the eyes watching him. The creature was back and it was causing Matilda to be nervous and jumpy. He frowned and walked her the rest of the way to the stables and dismounted, but stayed at her head and continued to look at the woods and rocks.

"Nothing can be seen, Tilly. You'll be alright here. I promise." He gave her a hug, then led her to the stables and motioned to a male elf who looked like he was in charge. "Good afternoon! I'm looking to stable my horse here for a day."

"Good afternoon to you, sir. Of course, it's ten gold pieces for a day and the horse would be fed and watered as well as brushed out by my stable-boy. My name's Ulundil. I own the stables."

"That sounds just fine, Ulundil. I'm Helgrim and this is Matilda." He motioned to the mare who reached out her muzzle toward the man, her nostrils flaring as she took in his smell. "She's very unusual as far as horses go. Intelligent. Be careful." He gave Ulundil a nod and a smile, then handed the reins over to him. The man took them and patted the mare's neck before leading her to a rail where he attached the reins to unsaddle her.

"Oh, that's fine Helgrim. I'll be careful. Where are you traveling from?"

"I originally came from Hammerfell, but my ship wrecked off Dawnstar's coast and so I earned enough money to buy this girl. She's been with me since then and we've come this far. I'm heading to Kynesgrove, my birthplace."

"Hammerfell? Shipwreck? Sounds like you've got quite the tale to tell. My wife Arivanya would love it if you could tell it to her. She's a bard, you see. She'd enjoy being able to tell your story through song." The elf unsaddled the mare and took some straw and began to brush the mare down.

"Interesting. I never thought my story was all that amazing. I'm just trying to get back home. I'll talk to her, though, if you want. I've got to visit the shops, but take care of my girl here and there'll be an extra ten gold for you."

"She spends her days at Candlehearth Hall singing for the customers. Enjoy the city!"

Helgrim nodded and let the man get back to his work. He gave Matilda one last pat on the rump and shifted the knapsack on his back and headed up the stonework that served as bridge and walkway up to the huge doors of Windhelm. He swallowed and passed by the guards on duty and entered the city. He first noticed the building right in front of him, with stairs on either side of it. He stopped and took it all in before moving onward. He would take more of an interest in the city once he made it to Kynesgrove and he could settle for a bit. Right now he wanted to find a store, or several stores, and sell his stuff. He walked up the stairs to the building that was in front of him. He saw the sign outside that read "Candlehearth Hall" and figured this was the inn where the stable owner's wife worked. If nothing else they could tell him where to sell his stuff. He went inside and was met with the warmth, so he stopped for a moment and soaked it up. He must have been getting used to the cold because he'd hardly felt it when it was blowing around outside. He walked up to the counter inside and sat down on a stool.

"This here's Candlehearth Hall. Great room's upstairs, an' there's a bed for rent on the ground floor. What can I do for you?"

"Hello. I'm Helgrim and I've just arrived in Windhelm. Could you maybe tell me where I can find a general merchant?"

"I'm Elda. Welcome to Windhelm. There are two in the city, but I don't really recommend either one personally. They're not Nords, you see. There's Sadri's Used Wares, run by Revyn Sadri who's a dark elf and then there's Niranye, a high elf who has a stall in the market. We have a couple specialized merchants, too. The only ones I can trust, however, are Oengul the blacksmith and Hillevi who manages a stall in the market. They're Nords, you see."

"Uh, thank you Elda. You've helped a lot. Excuse me." Helgrim thanked her and then walked away. He felt ashamed of his own race and he didn't even know this woman. It seemed she had a very strong hatred for anyone who was not a Nord. He wondered if it was just her or if it was the whole damn town. Leaving the inn, he began to walk down the streets to find this Sadri's Used Wares she'd mentioned. She had pointed when she'd spoken of the merchants in the city. It only took him thirty minutes to find the shop, tucked away in a cozy spot. He walked inside and was enveloped with the sense that each piece there had a story of its own. He loved it immediately.

"Good day to you, Revyn," Helgrim stated as he came to the counter, taking his backpack off and setting it on the counter beside him.

"You have me at a disadvantage, sir. You know my name, but I have not had the opportunity to learn yours."

"I'm Helgrim. I know your name only because the woman at Candlehearth mentioned you. Tell me, is it just her or does the entire city hate your race?"

"Unfortunately it is not just her, Helgrim. There are many in Windhelm and all of Skyrim, for that fact, that do not like the Dunmer. It appears, however, that you do not share that hatred."

"I prefer to be picky about those I hate. For now my hatred lies with the Empire and Thalmor, so you are quite safe." He chuckled and then started to lay out items that he had to sell. "I've come to unload some of these things that I picked up during my adventures."

"I see! Well, you've come to the right place. Let's see what we can do for you." Revyn began to look through the items.

Two hours later and several pounds lighter, he walked out of Sadri's shop with nearly a thousand gold pieces richer. Revyn had also suggested that he see Oengul to sell his weapons and armor to, so that was where Helgrim was heading now. He walked back through the alleyways and found his way back to Candlehearth Hall before passing it and making his way to the other side of the inn where the market was located. The blacksmith was here, as well as the alchemist and other smaller vendors. Since weapons and armor were the heaviest items at the moment, he decided he would unload what he could of those before going on. There was no "shop" really for the blacksmith, just a forge and a smelter. Simple, yet necessary. He walked up to the sturdy man and greeted him with a handshake.

"I'm Helgrim. I'm told that you're the best person to sell weapons and armor to."

"Welcome, Helgrim. I'm Oengul and you're right about that. A lot of folks say that Skyforge steel is the best, but I like to think that I have the best stuff. Let's see what you got and maybe I can help you out."

Helgrim smiled and liked him instantly. If he wasn't on his way home to Kynesgrove he would have stayed a little and worked with the man. They went through what he had and he got rid of most of the weapons he had picked up. That took a lot of weight off the pack and he nodded, patting the coin purse lightly. He now had almost five thousand gold pieces in the pouch that was bulging quite a bit. He would have to get a second one to put the excess into. He thanked Oengul and left his forge, heading next to The White Phial which was the alchemist's shop. He walked inside and witnessed the tail end of an argument between the owner and his apprentice. Something about a journey and the fact that the master was too old for it. Perhaps after he got settled into Kynesgrove he would come back and find out what that was all about. Right now he wanted to sell more stuff and lighten his load.

"Good afternoon. I'm Helgrim."

"Welcome to The White Phial, Helgrim. I'm Nurelion." The man, another high elf, coughed and wheezed, but remained at the counter, ready to take the sales. "Don't mind me, I've just got a cold. You know these drafty cities."

"Uh huh. Well, I've got some potions and whatnot that I'd like to get rid of. Thought I could get some gold for them. Would you like to take a look?"

"I would. Quintus, come and help me please." Nurelion coughed again as his assistant came over to help. Helgrim was tense as the Imperial came over, but since he was not a soldier, he didn't immediately try and kill the man. An hour later he carried with him another five hundred gold pieces and less stuff in his backpack. He was feeling quite flush with money and he also had two coin purses so that he wasn't carrying everything in one pouch anymore. Taking a breath, he looked at the other vendors and decided to see what else he could sell before heading back to the stables. Two hours later he carried a lot less items and now had just a little over seven thousand gold pieces. That was more than enough to get a house when he got to Kynesgrove and live nicely as well as send some home to his family and Eir.

He went back to the stables and paid Ulundil for the keeping of his mare and then went over to her and saddled her up himself. Then he just leaned on her and let out a steadying breath. He had dealt with a lot of anxiety this day after dealing with the few high elves that were in the city and the racist Nords. He didn't want to be as bad as those Nords in there, but he just couldn't help the feelings he had toward the Altmer race. It was as if it was deep in his blood to hate the high elves. The same feeling hit him whenever he saw an Imperial, even though he knew that not all Altmer and not all Imperials were Thalmor and Empire lackeys. He couldn't help it, though.

"Well, Tilly, let's get back on the road. We'll make Kynesgrove before dark. From what I hear it's not that long a ride." He patted the mare's neck and then mounted the horse and turned her. He had gotten the information from Revyn that if he just followed the road out of town and up the hill, he would find Kynesgrove easily enough. He hoped the dark elf was right about that because he was ready for a long rest. Where he didn't need to get up at dawn to continue his journey. Matilda whickered and listened to his cues when he asked for a trot, then a canter as they rode south. A half hour later he saw a few buildings ahead of him and slowed the mare to a trot, then a walk. He turned onto a small path and saw several people moving around.

"Do you suppose we made it, Tilly?" he asked the horse as he walked further. He dismounted and held Matilda's reins in one hand as he walked closer to the largest building he saw and stopped her, tying the reins on a rail. Off to the left he saw a garden and several tents set up. As he was standing there looking around, he heard the mare whicker behind him and turned to see a woman approaching. He walked up to her and offered her his hand.

"I'm Helgrim. Could you tell me if this is Kynesgrove?"

"Helgrim? Helgrim Frost-Blood?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Aye. That's my name. How'd you know that?"

"Oh! Helgrim! It's me, Iddra!" she said and ignored his hand and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Iddra? So I made it. Thank the Divines!" he said and hugged her back. He hadn't seen her since he was two years old, but he felt the kinship between them. He never questioned it.

"Come on, cousin. You look like you could use a long bath and a nice soft bed."

"You ain't kidding, Iddra." Helgrim smiled and walked with her into the house, knowing that someone would take care of Matilda for him until he could get out there and take care of her himself. For now, he was looking forward to that bath and warm bed. Tomorrow would be soon enough for him to start looking for a place of his own. Tomorrow he could start earning his keep. Tomorrow he would start the next chapter in his life.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next morning Helgrim awoke in a bed with warmth surrounding him and he felt as if he had reached a peaceful Oblivion if there was such a thing. He didn't have to rush to get up and go anywhere or do anything today, he just needed to live and breathe. He could do that without much trouble and so that was what he did. He stretched and got up to do a few exercises that were meant to keep him limber and awake. He felt much better after his bath the previous night. He had also been able to shave properly so that he didn't look so much like a werewolf anymore.

He'd heard Iddra's laughter as he went to sleep and it pleased him. To know that he had kin and they were glad to have him helped greatly. Now that he had gotten cleaned up and rested, he had to figure out his next step, working. He would not stay here without pitching in. That was something that had gotten drilled into his head time and time again as he grew up. To do well in this life, one must have a good work ethic and Helgrim certainly had that. His father had seen to that. He dressed in new clothes that Iddra had given him even though he'd told her not to and smiled as he smoothed the shirt a bit. He remembers the last time he had a new shirt, it had been given to him by his mother. The thoughts of his mother made him sigh and he shrugged it away. There was little he could do for her right now. First he had to get settled into a place of his own, then he could send for his family. The thought then occurred to him, what if they get in a shipwreck as well?

Again, he shook those thoughts away and left the room that Iddra had told him to use. It was one of her inn rooms, but she had insisted. Now that he had a chance to look at it during the daylight hours, he realized that Braidwood Inn was actually pretty well put together. He had only seen the stairs and other rooms last night but now he could see so much more. The walls were a nice polished wood that shown in the candlelight and the windows were so clear he could see outside from across the room. He'd been in several inns just in this journey alone and this was by far the best one he'd seen kept up.

As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he saw Iddra at the counter and smiled a good morning to her. She handed him a plate of eggs and steak as well as a chunk of bread and a slice of cheese. He took it gratefully and sat down at a table to eat it. Iddra brought over a mug of ale and sat down next to him.

"So Grim, tell me about your adventure."

"There's not really much to tell, Iddra. I left Hammerfell and came here. I shipwrecked off the coast of Dawnstar and had to buy a horse and ride from Dawnstar to here. It's taken me about two months to get here. That time has given me what I needed to become acclimated to the weather, I think. I've discovered that it doesn't seem as cold anymore. Not like it did when I first arrived. Is there ever a time when it isn't snowing or have snow on the ground?" he asked his cousin as he took a bite of the eggs and steak together, savoring it.

"Not really. I mean, there's times when it warms up, sure, but it's not normal or anything and the snow never really goes away. It's always there in the mountains and upper foothills." Iddra then patted his shoulder and stood up. "I've got to get back to work, Grim, but please don't hesitate to come get me if you need anything."

"Actually, there is something I need from you, Iddra."

"Yes?"  
"I want to start to pull my weight around here. I won't be just a cling-on for you to deal with. Where should I look at doing that?"

"Oh, you know you don't have to do that, right Grim? I really don't mind having you here and you can stay as long as you like without paying. We won't charge you."

"I know that, Iddra, but I have a sense of pride and feel that I should pay my way. I'll start working so I can build my house here. The plan is to return to Hammerfell to retrieve Mama, Papa, my family and Eir and bring them back here to live. Once we can worship Talos the way we please I'm sure my parents won't mind returning." He took another bite of his breakfast and smiled.

"Oh. About that. I'm not really sure about the whole Talos thing, Grim. You know it's outlawed, right? If we get caught even talking about Talos we could be thrown into prison or worse, executed and I like my head right where it is."

"It's not like I'm planning on hanging a banner outside that reads "I worship Talos", cousin. I am going to join the army and fight for the freedom to worship whomever we want however we want to do it. But first, I am going to get a place set up here for me and Matilda. To do that, I need money."

"Oh, very well then. If you go to Steamscorch Mine I'm sure Ganna will hire you to mine for her. Be careful, though. She's an Imperial and while she's not bound by an oath to report you for worshiping Talos, she could do so if you pissed her off. So don't piss her off. And make sure you go to Ganna and not Gemma. Gemma hates being here and would like nothing more than to return to Cyrodil. She would think nothing of turning you into the authorities."

"Thank you, Iddra. Your wisdom is well taken. Please, allow me to start right now by paying for this wonderful breakfast."

"No, Grim. That was on the house. You just go talk to Ganna and see if she will hire you. Then work and save that money for a house and to bring your family here. I'll not accept your money." Then before he could insist again, she turned and left the table and went to the counter. She started to clean it and Helgrim decided to leave her alone. She had given him advice and that was something he was glad for. When he finished the breakfast, he left two gold pieces on the table. He wasn't paying for the meal, he was leaving a tip.

He put his cloak on and headed outside to find it sunny and not snowing, though it was cold. He huddled into the warm cloak and walked over to a small shed where chickens pecked and a cow munched on hay. There he found Matilda who was also munching on hay. He smiled and leaned on her shoulder as he watched her eat.

"You enjoy your day off, Tilly. I'm heading up to the mine to see about work. Mining seems to work for me, so I might as well do that as much as anything else. I'll be back near dinner time to visit you. Tomorrow we'll take a ride and just look at the surroundings. Get a feel, maybe, for where I can build that house." He then patted the mare again and left her to walk up the hill and around the inn to find Steamscorch Mine. He found the smelter first, but the entrance to the mine wasn't that far away. No one was outside, so he went in to find Ganna. He found her near the back of the mine sitting at a table.  
"Excuse me, are you Ganna Uriel?"

"I am and who are you?" she asked, looking him up and down carefully. She was unsure of him.

"Pardon me, I'm Helgrim Frost-Blood. I've just arrived in Kynesgrove last night and I'm staying with my cousin, Iddra, at the inn. She said I should talk to you about getting some work in the mine."

"Hmm. Well, you certainly look like you could work a mine efficiently. How long are you looking to be staying in Kynesgrove?"

"I plan on staying until I uh..." He couldn't tell this Imperial woman that he was going to join the Stormcloak army, could he? He shook his head mentally and cleared his throat. "Until I die."

"Interesting. Well, I can't guarantee that you will have a job for that long, but I can at least give you one for a while. Here's a pickaxe, find a vein and start mining. We are collecting malachite ore here. Iddra's husband, Kjeld, will buy any and all ore from you and I will pay you five gold pieces a day on top of whatever you pull out of the mine. Fair?"

"That is more than fair, Ganna. Thank you." He took the pickaxe and kept his mouth shut about already having one. He didn't want to get fired before he even got to do any work. He felt that she had dismissed him with a nod of her head, so he turned and made his way down to where he found some ore and began to mine at it.

Mining was a good way to do some thinking, some good hard thinking about everything. About how his journey here had been tough, yet also rewarding. He got a great companion in Matilda and he saw some spectacular places that his parents surely have never seen. Indeed, he had been having a great adventure, but now was the time to settle down and focus on what he was doing here. To settle and make a life in Kynesgrove like his parents had made years before. Only this time he was the head of the family and he had to uphold their good name.

He stopped for lunch with the other miners and found himself eating with Kjeld, his cousin's husband, and Kjeld the Younger, his cousin's son. They spoke back and forth between one another about hunting and being able to draw a bow back. He held back his laughter at that, but his snort must have been heard by the younger Kjeld.

"What is that for? I bet you ain't lifted anything higher than your head."

"Why the hostility, cousin? If you need some extra tutelage I could give you a few pointers. I've been hunting with my father since I was a lad of just six years old. I was there when he took down a bear with a bow." He couldn't help but brag a bit, perhaps knock the kid down a peg or two.

"Did you see that, Papa? He's bragging so much I bet he ain't ever been hunting. Who takes a six year old out to go hunting?"

"Suit yourself, Kjeld the Younger. I spoke the truth, though. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to our job." Helgrim finished up his lunch and grabbed the pickaxe and went back to work. He'd gotten quite a haul already and just added to it as he hacked away at the rocks. It was a very interesting place to let your mind wander. He thought of Eir and her father, of the relationship they'd had as well as him and his own father and their relationship. It was different than that

of Kjeld and his son. There was something missing in their relationship, something that was there in his and Eir's with their parents. Perhaps it was pride and love. Kjeld did not seem to think his son could hunt, so he wouldn't take him out to learn. A pity that was, but not something he wanted to get into the middle of.

The day ended and Helgrim had collected two carts full of malachite ore that he brought up out of the mine. He went to Kjeld and offered it, but the man didn't seem too happy to have to pay him for it as he handed him the two hundred gold pieces for what he had mined. Not a bad day's work, he thought to himself as he walked away. At least that would go toward lumber to build his house. As promised, he went to visit with Matilda and spent nearly an hour with her, grooming her, hugging her, just general care and love. Then he said good night to her and went back to the inn. He was ready for a good supper and a warm bed.

He saw Kjeld and Kjeld the Younger both inside the inn when he went inside, but he didn't say anything to them. He had seen the younger Kjeld outside while he'd been caring for Matilda and the young man snickered when he'd walked past, showing that he thought it was funny that Helgrim had such a relationship with a horse. He had gathered that a lot of the people that lived in Skyrim and High Rock, even some places in Hammerfell, viewed the horse as just a simple mode of transportation, but to him they were all individuals and he had gotten extremely lucky with Matilda to have discovered how intelligent she really was. Except for the fact that she couldn't actually talk, it was like having a buddy go along on his adventures with him. Something to think about for sure.

It didn't bother him that his young cousin thought it funny and odd, he had always had a fondness for animals and had discovered early on that the animals, at least domesticated ones, didn't mind him. He sat down at a different table and smiled when Iddra came over with his food.

"For Divines sake you smell nearly as bad as those two over there. I'll make sure you have another bath tonight. Don't you worry. Here's your food and enjoy it. Don't worry about leaving any money. I told you that you didn't have to do that."

"I know, Iddra, but I want to help. I dislike getting things for free."

"Well, get used to getting your food for free, cousin. I like giving it to you." She smiled, kissed his cheek and walked away to see her husband and son.

She had been older when he'd left Skyrim with his parents. He'd been just two, but he remembered her as the girl who would give him rides on the workhorse and help him with his farm chores. She had always been there, sort of like an older sister. Being such close family made things hard when they left, but they chose to stay behind and keep the place going. He had been glad for that because it gave him a place to return to when he was ready to come back to Skyrim.

He ate his dinner and then left the two gold pieces on the table once more before heading up to the room she had given him. He found the tub already there with steaming water inside of it. He was grateful for that because even though he hadn't been expecting to take a bath tonight, after she mentioned it that was one thing he continued to think about. How nice it would be to sink into a warm tub and wash off the rock dust. He did just that and slipped into the hot water, sighing as he sank deeper. It was like nothing he could put into words. After the bath, he got into the bed and laid down. He put his hands behind his head and just thought of home. He looked out the window and gazed at the stars, sending a message through the stars to his little sister, Kenna. He'd told her they would be looking at the same stars and he believed that. As he fell asleep, the thought of home made his heart tug a little, but he also knew that he would soon be with them again. He just needed to build a home and go to Hammerfell to get them. Everything would work out just fine.

Helgrim started a routine the next morning. He would wake up, go through his ablutions before heading down the stairs to the common room of the inn and eating his breakfast. He always left his cousin two gold pieces on the table at every meal and they were always picked up. Whether by her, her husband or her son, he didn't know, but he left them for her. After breakfast, he made his way up to the mine and would spend the next several hours hacking at the rock until lunch time, then he would sit and eat with Kjeld and Kjeld the Younger. Ganna and Gemma would stay away from the others and that was just fine by him. He wasn't about to attack them just because they were Imperials, but he didn't want to give them a reason to suspect him of treason, which worshiping Talos had become. After lunch was over, he went back to mining the rock for malachite ore until "quitting time" which was around sundown. When he left the mine and sold off what he had collected that day, he would go and visit Matilda for a little while before he went back to Braidwood Inn. Iddra would bring him a plate of food for supper along with a mug of ale. He would eat and drink everything that she gave him and always put down two gold pieces on the table for her trouble. After supper was finished, he would sit near the fire for a half hour or an hour reading before heading to bed and going to sleep. On his days off, usually on Sundas, he would take Matilda out for a long ride in the countryside.

It was on one of these long rides that he came across someone he hadn't seen in months. Fjolnar. He saw him walking toward him on the road and slowed Matilda down before dismounting and smiling at his friend. The man looked as if he hadn't slept in days and he thought he saw some blood on his shirt.  
"Divines bless you, Fjolnar! It's great to see you!" he said as he took the man's hand in a handshake and brought him in for a hug. Then he stepped back and let the man talk.

"Ah, Helgrim! You made it home to Kynesgrove then?"

"Aye. I've been here working in the mine for a couple of months now. I've saved up enough money to start work on a house. What have you been doing?"

"That's good to hear, my friend." His face dropped a little when Helgrim asked him what he had been doing. "I went home when we parted and spent time with my sweetheart. We wed and moved into a cottage in the hills of Rorikstead. Then I had to come back to Windhelm to get my new orders." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Helgrim had turned Matilda around and began to walk back the way they had come while leading her and listened to his friend speak. "Three weeks later I received a letter from my father-in-law." Fjolnar paused here to collect himself. "It read that Lynsa had gone missing for a day while out picking flowers. When she returned, she was battered and bruised. She was broken, Helgrim." With the last of his words Helgrim knew exactly what Fjolnar had meant and he tensed.  
"You're saying..."

"Aye. She never said who it was and we'll never know because three days after she returned she passed away." Fjolnar was tense as well, looking at the ground as they walked.

"That's awful! If anything ever happened to Eir I'd be beside myself. Especially if I wasn't able to be there with her." Helgrim then wanted to take the words back, but couldn't. He sighed and shrugged, then went on. "Is that what you have been doing? Hunting the bastards down? You look like you've been to Oblivion and back."

"I wish I could hunt them down. If I only knew who to look for." He shook his head. "No, I've been scouting for Ulfric and the army. You know, you really should join up. Ulfric can use every man he can get right now. Or woman. They don't turn anyone away. Some of the best fighters I've had at my side were female." He chuckled a little.

"Eh, I don't know. I've thought about it, but I think I'll wait until at least my house is finished. I've even thought of starting up a forge in Kynesgrove. With all the malachite ore that's there I could sure make a lot of weapons and armor."

"Very well, Helgrim. The offer's there. I'm a lifer now, so if you ever do let me know and I'll put a good word in for you." Fjolnar nudged Helgrim a little and teased, but it was all in good-natured fun. "Ah, that looks like your Kynesgrove up ahead. I think I'll take a rest for a while before heading back to Windhelm. If you don't mind, that is."

"Of course not, Fjolnar! You're like a brother to me even though we have not seen each other in months. My cousin would love the business, but don't tell her that. She hates to take my money but I know the inn isn't doing as well as she makes it out to be." The pair were quiet for the rest of the way to Kynesgrove and once there, Helgrim unsaddled Matilda and brushed her down before letting her loose in the pen he'd built her. Then he walked with Fjolnar up to the inn. Iddra came over to them and smiled, giving Helgrim a kiss on the cheek and looking at his friend curiously.

"Who's this, Grim?"

"This is my friend, Fjolnar. Fjolnar, this is my cousin, Iddra. She owns this lovely inn that is my home for the time being."

"A pleasure to meet you, Iddra," Fjolnar said as he bowed and kissed the back of her hand softly. He then stood upright and let her hand go a tad longer than normal.

"Oh! Well, I uh, what can I uh, help you with?" she asked, obviously flustered from the attention. Kjeld hadn't done such a thing since she was a girl.

"I am in need of a room for the night. Could you spare one, perhaps?"

"Yes I can! I normally charge ten gold a night, but since you're Grim's friend, it's free." She blushed and turned to the counter to prepare them each a meal.

"I see what you mean, Helgrim. She's a pretty thing though isn't she?"

"Easy Fjolnar. She's got a husband and a son my age. Don't get ahead of yourself now." He laughed and clapped his friend on the back before sitting down at the table.

The man was such a charmer, so easy with women that it made Helgrim wonder about himself. Fjolnar had lost his wife just three weeks after they wed, but it was several months ago that it happened. Would he be able to go on like that if anything ever happened to Eir? He wasn't so sure about that and didn't ever want to find out. This was a good day, he didn't want to ruin it by thinking of the worst things that could happen to the woman he loved. He wanted to spend it with a good friend, catching up on everything else that had happened since they last saw one another. If he was honest with himself he thought it was pretty amazing how quickly he'd formed a friendship with Fjolnar, but in times like these you made friends quickly and didn't worry about things like "love" when marrying. For most men, the goal was to marry a woman and beget a few heirs before either he or the woman passes away. The fact that some men and women lived to old age was a great thing. Perhaps he could be like those people and live until he died of old age, naturally.

After dinner was over, the two of them played cards and dice until late into the evening. Helgrim noticed Kjeld and his son come in late as well, the elder Kjeld carried a handful of rabbits, but the younger Kjeld had nothing to show for the hunting trip. So he really did brag about his prowess with the bow? Helgrim wasn't positive, but that was what he would place his money on at least. Finally, when the hour was late, he left Fjolnar in the very capable hands of his cousin Iddra and went to bed, fully expecting to be able to ride to Windhelm with Fjolnar in the morning. When he got up, though, his friend had already left without a farewell. Helgrim wasn't sad or upset, just a little annoyed as this seemed to be a pattern with Fjolnar. He got over it quickly, though, when he finished breakfast and went to work in the mine. His day was back to being "normal" and he just had to get used to it.

A few days later he was in the pen playing with Matilda when he heard Iddra call out to him from the doorway of the inn and he smiled, walking over to her. She wore a pale blue dress today and her hair was pulled up into a bun. He could be seeing things, but he could swear that a few of her stress lines had faded.

"What's going on, cousin?" he asked her.

"Do you think you could take a ride into Windhelm for me? There are a few things I need for the inn and I just don't trust leaving it to Kjeld. He always stops for a drink or four at Candlehearth."

"Of course, Iddra. What is it that you need?" Helgrim asked and was handed a list of items.

"You can pay for them out of this." She handed Helgrim a pouch of gold coins.

"Nonsense, Iddra. I have earned enough at the mine I think I can handle a few provisions. Keep the gold. Get on inside before you catch cold. You're not even wearing a cloak!"

"Pish posh, Grim. I've lived here all my life and ran around in less than this when I was a child. It ain't killed me yet, it ain't gonna kill me ever." She smiled, but turned around and went back inside, shutting the door. Helgrim pocketed the list and turned to find Matilda right behind him. He laughed and shook his head.

"Are you ready to go then?" he asked the horse who tossed her head and whickered to him. That was a yes if he'd ever heard one and patted her neck. He saddled her without delay and mounted up, turning her onto the road and toward Windhelm. He hadn't been back to the city in almost two weeks. It would be good to see Oengul again and get a bit more training before headed back home. Maybe he could arrange for the man's apprentice, Hermir Stong-Heart, to help him with working on his house. Oengul was surely too busy to do it himself, but the man's apprentice could be just as good. He trotted the mare rather than canter so that he could enjoy the time away from the mines. It was good work and he felt the muscles that he'd gained from working there, but it was tedious work as well. Every day, he would get up and work in the mines. Then he would go home, eat, then sleep only to get up the next morning and do it all over again. If he'd wanted to do that, he would have stayed in Hammerfell where he was at least working with the ores and metals and creating things. Here he was just digging it up. That was part of the reason he wanted to start his own forge. So he could create armors and weapons. He didn't even care if he sold them or not. Just making them would give his creative side something to do.  
"Do you miss it, Tilly? The fighting bandits I mean? You seemed to really enjoy doing that and I know there aren't any bandits where we are now." The horse snorted and swished her tail as if she were irritated and Helgrim laughed. "Aye, well perhaps we'll see a bandit or two on our way home from Windhelm eh?" He patted her neck and then rubbed between her ears as he urged her into a canter to get to Windhelm quicker. He wanted to get his cousins provisions, spend an hour or two with Oengul, ask Hermir if she would like to help him with his house, then possibly look for a fight on the way back. It was a nice plan, it really was, but not all plans go off the way they're intended to.

The mare's nostrils flared and her ears flattened, both signs that he knew well by now. Her gait dropped from the ground-eating canter to a choppy trot, then to a walk as she became more nervous. Helgrim looked around, searching for the creature's eyes in the shadows beside the road. The more time he rode away from Kynesgrove, the more he would see the creature. Technically he'd never seen the creature, just the eyes. The glowing orange eyes. If he hadn't seen how high the eyes were located, he would have sworn it was a death hound, but he had seen how high the eyes were and no death hound had ever been that large. He wasn't even sure how this creature remained hidden, it was as if magic kept it concealed. He wasn't sure about magic. He had used healing magic, sure, but never had he looked into what mages used. It seemed as if they liked to use it just for the sake of using it. At least in his few experiences with mages during his journey here that's what it was like.

"Why don't you come out, you coward?! I know you're there and so does Tilly!" As if to prove his point the mare half reared up and he held onto her mane to keep from moving. The only reaction, however, was for the creature to fade away out of view. Helgrim soothed the mare and urged her on again. "Guess he is a coward, Tilly. You went and scared him off." He laughed and then looked ahead. The mare wasn't nervous anymore, so the creature was gone. He spared little thought about it for now and made it to Windhelm. He once again left Matilda at the stables with a bucket full of grain and some hay, then walked into the city. There was a commotion down an alleyway as he was walking toward the marketplace and so he followed to see what was going on. When he reached the crowd, he realized it was the death of a young woman that had gotten everyone on edge. When he moved closer to see who had died, he realized it was Susanna. She was commonly called Susanna the Wicked by the folk around town, but he'd never seen anything wicked about her. A pity, he thought, that a woman so young would die in such a manner. He'd heard about three other murders and was perplexed as to why they hadn't caught the person responsible yet. Surely there were clues. As a guard and a person he hadn't seen before arrived, he noticed them start asking the crowd to leave and spoke to a few witnesses. He turned away and made his way back to the market to do his shopping and work at the forge. It was certainly a strange day indeed.

Helgrim checked and rechecked Iddra's list before he decided that he was finished and had gotten everything she needed. He walked to the forge and greeted Oengul and Hermir with a smile, then asked Oengul if he had anything that needed working on that day. He was pleased to find out that there was a piece of armor that needed to be worked on. He didn't even care about being paid by Oengul, he just wanted to work with his hands at a forge. He missed it. It made sense, though, because he spent ten years working at the forge before he came to Skyrim. It was a skill he had nearly mastered, if Eir's father was to be believed, and he hoped that soon he would master it here in Skyrim. To do that, he needed to work a forge and since Kynesgrove didn't have one yet, he had to come here to do it. He heard the conversations around the forge as he worked, not just from Oengul and Hermir, but from the people that visited the marketplace.

"Oh dear, did you see how cut up she was?"

"Aye, no sane person did that."

"I bet this is the work of that crazy wizard the Jarl keeps locked in his palace."

"Wuunferth?"

"They do call him Wuunferth the Unliving. There's got to be a reason for that, right?"

"I suppose you're right. I'm not about to tell the Jarl though. Are you?"

"No, are you kidding? I have no wish to get my head chopped off."

Helgrim said nothing, just went on with the armor that he was working on and listened to the talks silently. It was one of the best ways that he had learned how to get information. He'd learned that at an early age. When he was just a lad of about ten he had realized that if he just stayed quiet and didn't move into the picture, most people would continue talking as if he wasn't there. He could then go to whomever the information would benefit the most and tell them. Did that make him a snitch? A brown-noser? He didn't really care. It had gotten him sweet rolls and that was what he cared about back then. The fact that Ulfric Stormcloak had a wizard named Wuunferth the Unliving in his palace might not matter right now, but one never knew what the future held. It may come in handy at a later date. He stored it away for future reference.

Two hours later, he had finished the piece of armor he was working on and even fixed a sword made of silver. Silver was a hard metal to work with because it tended to take a lot more effort to get the shape right. He'd done it though and Oengul had been proud of him for it. So he'd given Helgrim the sword as payment. He thanked the man, then asked to speak to Hermir alone for a moment. Oengul looked surprised, but smiled and nodded, then went to work inside his shop. Hermir came over to him with her hand on her hip, wondering what it was that he wanted to talk to her about.

"You know you're a really good blacksmith, Hermir," Helgrim started.

"Aye, what about it?"

"I'm going to begin working on building my house soon and well, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to help me with it." He looked at her.

"You're going to build your own house? Why ask me, why not Oengul?"

"I thought about that, but then I realized that with the work he does for the Jarl, he'd be too busy. He taught you everything he knows and figured you would be just as good if not better."

"Nice compliment," she teased with a grin. "However, I like the way you think. Besides, if I do a good enough job Oengul will see that I have what it takes to take me to the next level in my training. Alright, you've got yourself a deal."

Helgrim shook hands with Hermir and smiled. Things were coming together nicely. Now, if he could just manage to get the lumber delivered to Kynesgrove, he'd be all set to start working on the house. After the house was built, he would be free to go back to Hammerfell and retrieve his family and Eir. He looked forward to that day very much, but for now he would have to contend himself with living at the Braidwood Inn with his cousin without his family by his side. He said farewell to Hermir and Oengul, then pulled his pack on and left the marketplace. He thought about what had happened that day, Susanna's death, the talk in the marketplace about Wuunferth the Unliving and then the deal with Hermir. It had started out a great day with the ride to Windhelm, turned ill when he saw Susanna and heard the talk that was going around, but it had picked up again to become a good day at the end from working at the forge and making a deal with Hermir to work on his house. This was going to happen. It was not just going to be an idea in his head. It will become a reality.

He left Windhelm and went back to the stables to collect Matilda and head back to Kynesgrove. He started talking to Ulundil as he groomed and saddled Matilda. The high elf was actually a likable character when you actually talked to him, Helgrim realized. That didn't mean that he liked all Altmer, but this one particular high elf was at least tolerable. He was done saddling his mare and shook the man's hand. If he ever needed to keep Tilly somewhere, this would be a good place to do so. He led Matilda out of the stables and then mounted up, turning her to the road that would take them back to Kynesgrove. He had taken the day off from working in the mine because he'd needed it. It had become so monotonous that he had started to get less ore in his carts which meant less money paid out and the sisters, Ganna and Gemma, weren't too happy with him. If he kept it up he would be told to stop coming. Since he didn't want that to happen, he'd taken a much needed personal day and spent it with Matilda. At least until his cousin asked him to go to Windhelm for her. He didn't mind doing things for her, she was letting him live in the inn free until he got his house built. Anyone who had to put up with Kjeld and Kjeld the Younger deserved to have a few things done for them.

He thought about the house he was going to build as they trotted along the road. It was going to be two stories with a balcony around the entire second floor. The first floor was going to be all stone with a wood framework and a big fireplace in the main room. The bottom floor will also have four bedrooms. One of them will be his own, but the others will be for his family when they arrived. The second floor would be all wood with a second fireplace here as well to keep the entire area warm. There would be a door out to the balcony and there would also be four bedrooms on this floor. In the common area on the second floor would be shelves for books and a table for his siblings to study at. In the common area on the first floor would be the kitchen, complete with an oven, and a table that the whole family could eat at. It would be wonderful.

When the house was built, he would return to Hammerfell for his family and take a walk with Eir. He would take her to the garden and have her sit on the stone bench there, then he would take a knee and propose to her. She would say yes and they would be wed before they left Hammerfell, so her father and mother could be a part of the ceremony. Then they would travel back to Skyrim, hopefully without the trouble of shipwrecking before reaching Windhelm. It would be a quick trip from there to Kynesgrove where he would show his family and his new wife their beautiful new home. After they all settled in, he would set up his own blacksmithing forge and begin making armor and weapons of his own craftsmanship. Perhaps he would even get a stall in the Windhelm marketplace to sell them. His father could go hunting with his brother in the wilderness and he could set them up with his little stall in the marketplace as well. There was already an established crop field in Kynesgrove, so his mother would be able to keep that going and perhaps even make it bigger. His three sisters would help her with it. Everyone would be happy and content. Matilda snorted and shifted sideways and jogged Helgrim back to the present and he smiled at her, patting her neck. The mare seemed to know when he was going a tad too far in his dreaming and just how to get him back.

"What's the matter, Tilly? Jealous?" he teased, though knew she couldn't talk back to him. "I would also have a lovely stable built just for you. A large stall that was deep with straw for you to lie down in and a manger that was never empty. How does that sound?"

The mare whickered and tossed her head as if to say 'yes' to him. He laughed and then urged her into a canter so they could get back home quicker. The whole ride only took about a half hour to get from Windhelm to Kynesgrove and he rode up the small hill that led into the village. He saw his cousin at the inn talking to someone and her husband and son making their way to the inn from the mines. It was getting late and they would be ending their day and going home for dinner. He rode Matilda over to the pen he'd built for her and dismounted, then unsaddled her before letting her loose into the pen. He turned back to his cousin and the stranger, watching both Kjelds just walk on by without stopping to say 'hello' or anything to the stranger or Iddra. He frowned at that. Helgrim had seen how little attention Kjeld paid to his wife and didn't like it one bit. He didn't even sleep in the same room as her, he slept in his son's room. That should have been a clue to Iddra, but he sensed that it was in a way. He hadn't missed the way she had looked at Fjolnar when he'd been there. If it came right down to it, he would get Kjeld to end the marriage and let Iddra marry someone else. She deserved to be happy, not stuck in a loveless marriage.

"Good evening, sir. Welcome to Kynesgrove." He smiled at the man and offered his hand in greeting. They shook and he stepped up next to Iddra.

"Ah, good evening yourself. I was just telling this lovely woman that I was traveling from Riften and heading up to Windhelm, but the night was setting in, so I was looking for a room. Name's Gilfoe."

"I'm Helgrim. I help run the inn. Why don't you come inside and we'll see what we've got for you."  
"Thank you, Helgrim. Good evening, ma'am." He then went into the inn, leaving Helgrim and Iddra alone.

"What are you doing, Grim? That man is, well, I dunno, but I just get a bad vibe from him."

"It's alright, Iddra. I've got this under control. Let me deal with him. You'd best get your husband and son their supper. They'll be drunk before you know it." He patted her arm lightly in comfort and then went into the inn. He walked over to the man, Gilfoe, and had him come to the bar.

"Now, Gilfoe, you say you're coming from Riften? Interesting. You have business in Windhelm?" he asked as he poured the man an ale to wet his throat.

"Something like that. I'm an investigator. I've been asked to come to Windhelm to deal with a matter they're having in the city."

"Really? I was just there today, you know. Saw a woman that had been murdered. All cut up and what not. I heard talk that there were three other murders in much the same way, all young women, all cut up."

"Aye, 'tis what I'm being sent to investigate. Were there any witnesses, do you know?"

"No, sorry. I don't believe anyone saw what happened, just the aftermath. I think someone did mention a man running away, but no one described him. At least not in my hearing."

"Ah well, I'm sure I'll find out everything else tomorrow. Speaking of which, I'd like to rent a room, please."

"Yes, that will be fifteen gold pieces. A bit steep, but as we are a tiny village it's warranted."

"Well worth it if the sleep is warm and dry." Gilfoe took the fifteen gold pieces out of his pouch and handed them over to Helgrim, then finished his ale.

"Thank you. Right this way, I'll show you to your room." Helgrim pocketed the gold and then held his hand out to motion to Gilfoe to go ahead of him. He walked out from behind the counter and led the way to a spare room. He nodded to the door. "Here is your room, Gilfoe. Breakfast is at six in the morning, supper is at six in the evening. If you intend to stay for more than one night, please let me know tomorrow."

"Thank you, Helgrim. Good night."

"Good night, Gilfoe." He turned and left the man to himself. He went back to the common area and sat down at a table, finding his meal already sitting there.

Iddra was a wonderful woman and were they not related he would have snatched her up. Perhaps he needed to have a talk with his cousin-in-law, Kjeld, about how to treat a wife like Iddra. He figured it must be the father's influence on Kjeld the Younger's attitude because Iddra sure wasn't that cocky and arrogant. Kjeld the elder was likable, but Helgrim disliked the way he treated Iddra. She was family and he couldn't allow that to continue. Tomorrow he would have a talk with Kjeld about her and then he might just take Kjeld the Younger out hunting to give him some pointers. They were almost the same age, Helgrim being older by a couple years, but he could tell that Kjeld the Younger had less experience actually hunting. He would do what he could to help out, even if that meant getting involved in family matters that they would probably say he had no business being involved in. He didn't care about that, he just wanted to make sure that Iddra was taken care of and happy. Perhaps Fjolnar would return someday soon and prove his theory. Until then, he would work with Kjeld and Iddra and see if there is anything worth saving or if he should just let it go.

After finishing his meal and leaving the two gold pieces on the table for her, he saw her speaking with Kjeld and frowned. It did not look like it was going well. Then he remembered he had the items Iddra wanted and he should give them to her. It would at least stop the argument from going any further.

"Iddra, I've got your things. Would you like to come help me put them away?"

"What? Oh, yes, thank you Grim. Kjeld, we'll talk about this later." She walked away from her husband and toward Helgrim. She gave him a small smile. "Thanks," she whispered, knowing what he had done.

"Not a problem, cousin. I'm having a talk with him tomorrow. Don't worry." He winked at her and then started to unpack the items she had sent him for that day. An hour later, he headed to his own room to get ready for bed. He washed up and shaved, then laid in bed and thought about the day. It had been uphill and down the entire day. He didn't trust Gilfoe a hundred percent, but he gathered that the man wasn't going to slit their throats in their sleep, so he could relax a little. The matter with Kjeld would have some thought before he fell asleep. He honestly liked the guy, but if he couldn't treat Iddra nicely then he would suggest they dissolve the marriage and go their separate ways. Then Iddra would be able to get to know Fjolnar better and perhaps start a new life with him. Tonight, at least, his mind was full of thoughts of Iddra, Kjeld, Kjeld the Younger, Fjolnar, Gilfoe, Ganna and Gemma, Oengul and Hermir. It wasn't on his family back in Hammerfell or Eir. It was on his house he planned on building and the life he planned on starting here in Skyrim.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Time moved along for Helgrim as he worked in the mine for money and saved to be able to build the house he planned in his head. He became a lot closer to his cousin, Iddra, during the next few months and had even started to work the field a little bit, making sure everything was growing the way it should. He also made regular trips into Windhelm for supplies for Iddra and training with Oengul at the forge. Many times during his rides to or from, sometimes both, he would 'encounter' the creature that always watched him and Matilda. The mare never became accustomed to the creature's existence, but never did the thing leap out and attack them. It only watched from the shadows, never revealing more than it's glowing yellow eyes. He wasn't sure whether to be happy or upset that he never came face to face with the creature. On one side he was glad because he wasn't sure he could kill it, but on the other side he was upset because he wasn't even being given the chance to kill it. If for nothing else, he wished that he could keep the thing away for Matilda's sake.

Today he was heading out once more along the road toward Windhelm with Matilda. The chestnut and white mare snorted and threw her head up in the air, a signal that the creature had arrived once more. Helgrim gave it no more notice now, however. It had become so normal that the only times he thought about the thing was when he went somewhere and didn't have the creatures' eyes on him. He reassured Matilda and urged her on so she wouldn't slack off. The creature always managed to make her so nervous that she sometimes forgot that he was on her back. Only once had she unseated him, but once was enough. He had maintained that from then on he would keep her comforted and under control. He had wondered what it was about him, exactly, the creature found so intriguing that it had to follow him everywhere, but so far he hadn't come up with anything solid for a reason.

Helgrim looked up at the clear sky and sighed. Though it was cold as usual, he had finally gotten used to it and hardly even felt it now. The wispy clouds moved slowly through the sky and he could hear birdsong from the trees he passed by. Helgrim slowed the mare as they approached the intersection and turned to the left, toward the bridge that would take them across the water and on the way to Anga's Mill. His mission today was to visit with Aeri for a while, perhaps even do a bit of logging himself, and explain his situation to her. He was prepared to pay for the lumber he needed for his house, but he wasn't sure how much she could supply him with. It would be best if she could supply him with everything that he would need for building, but he knew it was a tall order. A two-story house with a balcony on the second level wasn't really the best starter project out there. He'd already started stockpiling stone that he mined from the quarry just behind the inn, though it would probably take him much longer to get what he needed to even start on the foundation. The entire ride from Kynesgrove to Anga's Mill was about seven hours, six if he really pushed Matilda. He had left at dawn to make sure he had enough time to visit with Aeri, then get back to Kynesgrove before dark fell.

Just as he thought, he reached Aeri's house by one in the afternoon and dismounted from Matilda's back after stopping her near the rail in front of Aeri's house. He tied her lightly and patted her neck, whispered to her not to cause any trouble, then went to knock on Aeri's door. He looked around as he waited for her to answer the door. Her two employees, Leifur and Kodrir, were busy putting the logs through the saw at the mill. He could hear them joking back and forth between them and their laughter carried across the breeze to him. He smiled at the ease with which the two Nord men worked. He'd seen the same sort of camaraderie with Kjeld and his son in the mine. It came from spending so much time with the other person that you know their personality so well that you attune your own to it. At least that's how he viewed it. He hadn't had anyone that close in his life. Not really. He supposed the closest he'd come was back in Hammerfell with Eir's father. Before his mind could follow that path of troubled thoughts, Aeri opened her door and smiled when she saw who it was.

"Why if it ain't Helgrim! Come on in, stranger," she teased and stepped back so he could enter her house.

"Good to see you, too, Aeri." He laughed and then entered the house, standing at the doorway for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dimmer light before moving over to the table and sitting on the bench.

"So, tell me Helgrim, what have you been up to?" she asked as she moved to the pot cooking over the fire.

"Oh boy, so much to fill you in on, Aeri. I made it to Kynesgrove, as I'm sure you figured out." He paused and she nodded to him. "I've been working as a miner, actually, for the past several months. It's not a great career, but I don't plan on doing it for the rest of my life either. I'm making decent money hacking at rock."

"Making money is a good thing, my friend. Even if it is made in the tunnels cutting away at rock for pieces of ore."

"Aye, but it's hard on the back." He winked at her and leaned back, accepting the mug of ale she offered him. "My cousin and I have reconnected and it's been great, but I can't help feeling like I'm putting her out. You know? She runs Braidwood Inn there in Kynesgrove and it's not a super mecca of activity. I feel bad for taking up one of the rooms she could be renting out to travelers." He took another sip of the ale.

"You're so kind, Helgrim. It's hard to believe that you're a Nord with a fighter's heart." Aeri sipped her own ale and sat down next to him on the bench now.

"Thank you, Aeri, but I'm just being myself. Nothing special about it." He shrugged and then went on. "Regardless, I have decided to build my own house there. I would eventually like to bring my family back from Hammerfell to live here." He didn't mention he also planned to bring back a wife. It wasn't like Aeri had asked and he didn't feel he needed to volunteer the information to her.

"Build a house, Helgrim? That's a big undertaking. Guess you decided that you like it in Skyrim after all, eh?" She smiled and tilted her head slightly, as if trying to figure him out. He'd come to see her for some reason other than catching up, she was sure of it.

"Aye, a huge undertaking actually. I'm planning for it to be two stories with a balcony around the entire second floor."

Aeri's eyes widened as she heard his plans for the house he wanted to build. Always the businesswoman, she was calculating already how much wood he would need to build such a house. It would be more than she'd made all last year. It became clear to her, then, why Helgrim had come to see her when he had. No doubt he intended to get his lumber from her for his house. While she was sure Mixwater Mill could supply him wood as well, she suspected he hadn't been there and made friends yet. A slow smile appeared on her face as she finished her ale and leaned on her hand that was on the table.  
"I see now, Helgrim. Are you looking to ask me to supply lumber for your building endeavor?"

"You are a smart woman, Aeri. Aye, but don't think of me as a moocher. I intend to pay for the lumber I order. Fully. No discounts. Understand?"

"Really, Helgrim? You're a friend, you have done so much to get here and you deserve some sort of break. I don't mind giving you a discount."

"Nay, I'll not accept it, Aeri. I will be paying full price and would like you to provide my entire supply of lumber for the house. I know the wood you use is of great quality. I've handled it myself. As I'm sure you know I cannot cut down any trees in Kynesgrove, they are protected. You have a mill that is thriving, but can always use a little more business, am I right?"

"You are a hard man, Helgrim. Aye, you are right. I can always take more. Alright, I can certainly supply you fully. In fact, I could probably get the first shipment out in three days, five days at the most. It's a good thing that you are so close to us because it shouldn't take long to deliver all that you'll need. Maybe two or three weeks tops."

"That's what I like to hear, Aeri. At full price, remember."

"Aye, at full price. Two hundred gold for each hundred lumber. It might take some time to figure out exactly how much you'll be needing."

"That's fine, Aeri. I trust you. I can give you two thousand right now and if you need more just let me know." He was already pulling the pouch out of his pocket.

"Oh dear! You carry that much on you? Aren't you worried about thieves and bandits?"

"Not with Matilda at my side, Aeri. That mare is something else, I tell you. She sees a nefarious character and they had better have wings or she will surely pound the life out of them. I've not seen any live after encountering the brave Matilda." He smiled and looked out the window at his painted mare, grazing at the hay on the ground he had put there for her. "She's really becoming a good friend to have."  
"Interesting. She will actively attack the thieves and bandits? Even those with weapons?"

"Oh, aye. Weapons just seem to anger her further. She's got some scars, as is pretty normal, but I'm careful not to let her get too hurt. I tried stopping her early on, but I soon realized that it was no use and I couldn't really get her to stop. I didn't want to become a target of her hooves and teeth, so I stepped back and let her attack. Luckily I learned healing magic in Hammerfell so I can keep her from getting too injured."

"I swear, you have more adventures just living than most people do in their entire lives, Helgrim." She touched his hand softly and lingered there, her blue eyes lifting to meet his own. She blushed, but didn't look away, just moved a little closer. "I wish I could go with you one day."

Helgrim swallowed as he felt the warmth from her hand on his and the way she looked at him had his body aching to touch her back. It had been so long since he'd been with a woman, but reminded himself that he had promised he would stay faithful to Eir. Just because she wasn't here and they weren't wed yet he couldn't fall back on that. He cleared his throat and wet his lips, shifting on the bench.  
"I uh, never thought of taking uh, anyone along with me."

Before he knew what was happening, Aeri had lifted her hand to touch his lips and moved her head closer to his own. His eyes focused on her lips as she ran her tongue along the bottom one to wet them. His muscles tightened as he became aroused by her nearness and touch. A split second later and her lips touched his own in a soft yet passionate kiss. He felt that it was a test, to see how he would react and react he did. Even as his mind screamed out at him to stop, his body moved his arm around her waist and pulled her closer so that she sat upon his lap, his aroused groin pressed against hers. His tongue slid across her lips and was rewarded when she opened her mouth to accept him into it, allowing his tongue to wrestle with her own. The mind was still screaming at him as he groaned against Aeri and lifted her in his arms while he stood and carried her toward the bed. Deep down he knew he should stop, but he couldn't. The woman was quite sexy and he'd had a hard time the first time he'd stayed at the mill to keep away from her. Now that she had made the move and kissed him, his body was taking control and she didn't seem to mind either.

He laid her down on the bed and hovered above her, breaking the kiss long enough to look into her blue eyes once more as his hands moved up to cup a breast through her dress. His gaze asked without words if she wanted him to stop. He gathered from the lust he felt from her body that the answer was 'no' and so he didn't. He lowered his head and took her lips again in a long, deep kiss. His hand brought the dress down further and revealed the breast he had been fondling. He sighed as he pulled away from her lips again, this time making a trail of kisses down to the breast and took the nipple into his mouth. Her gasp echoed in his ears and he pressed his erection against her as he suckled. Her hands dug into his hair and pulled him closer. Feeling the urgency of wanting to bury himself inside of her, he pulled away and looked into her eyes as his hands began to undress her. Still she did not stop him and so he removed her dress and underclothes, leaving her naked before his eyes. He tensed as she sat up and reached him, her own hands exploring his body as she removed his clothes. He closed his eyes when she touched his erection, concentrating so that he would not lose himself right then. He swallowed and opened his eyes after regaining control and saw her smiling at him. He growled and slid his hands up and down her sides, stopping as he reached her breasts. He settled between her legs and paused, giving her one last chance to stop him. She didn't and so he thrust into her, burying himself to the hilt in one swift motion.

It was exquisite. The feeling of her warmth surrounding him as he pulsed inside of her nearly made him lose it, but he held on. He gazed into her face and saw that she was holding back tears. Had he hurt her without knowing it? He didn't move, afraid that he was too large for her, but she soon explained to him and had she not grabbed onto him, he would have pulled out and left her right then.

"N-no, Helgrim. S-stay." She looked straight at him. "I... I want this. I... I wanted you... To be my f-first."

Immediately his heart was pounding because not only had he assumed that she had done this before, he hadn't even planned on this happening so he hadn't asked her. How very rude of him and he felt downright guilty. She must have sensed it because she cupped his face and shook her head, keeping him looking at her.

"Don't feel bad, Helgrim. I wanted to do this. Don't... Don't stop now. Please." Her words were breathy, now that the pain was mostly gone, she could feel the pleasure starting to radiate through her body. "Please," she pleaded.

Helgrim took a breath and figured the damage was already done. At least understood now why she was so tight. It wasn't that he was too large for her, it was that he was the first one to enter her this way. That knowledge gave him a renewal to his erection and he grunted, then slowly pulled back, only to slide right back in. He claimed her lips once again and felt the fury that came with lovemaking. He showed her ecstasy that afternoon, taking her higher than she'd ever been before. He knew he should have stopped, but he couldn't get his body to cooperate. Later, as he lay in his own bed alone, he would look back on this and repent to Talos for being disloyal to Eir, but right now all he could think of was reaching his climax after ensuring his partner had reached hers. Watching her face as she orgasmed caused his own to surface and he tensed above her, thrusting as far as he could and stilling. A grunt escaped his lips as he pulsed within her folds, releasing his seed as he orgasmed. His breath was rapid and it took a minute to look down at her beneath him. She glowed with the beauty the first sexual encounter gave women and he sighed. Then he kissed her for another long minute or two before pulling out of her and rolling to the side to regain his breath. He had taken just two virgins before Aeri and he wasn't about to compare them to one another, but it had been so long since he'd made love to a woman that he felt relaxed for the first time in a very long time. She moved to lay her head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her. He should get up and help clean her, but right now he was just tired. As he watched her fall asleep his own eyes drooped and he fell into his own slumber.

Helgrim slept for some time before he awoke when he felt her shift against him. He tilted his head down slightly and saw that she still slept in his arms. What did he do, he wondered silently. How could he just throw away everything he'd told Eir before leaving Hammerfell? He let out a soft sigh and then slipped out of bed without waking her and dressed quickly. He really should be getting back to Kynesgrove and he wasn't even sure what he would say to Aeri if he was still here when she woke up. Thanks? That hardly seemed appropriate after taking her virginity. He supposed if he were a "true Nord" he would just accept it, smile and walk away. He wasn't, though. He had been taught better values than that. He looked back at her sleeping in the bed and hoped she wouldn't be too upset with his absence. Then he turned and left the house, locking the door as he did so. Matilda's head shot up and she snorted, showing her displeasure at being tied and saddled for so long.

"Sorry Tilly. Look, let's just go home, alright?" he asked her as he approached and mounted after untying the reins from the rail. He turned the mare toward the road and looked around. Leifur and Kodrir must have gone inside the common house for the night. It was getting dark and Helgrim cursed himself for being an idiot and spending so much time with Aeri. He should have just asked her for the wood and left, instead he had stayed and ended up sleeping with her. Not exactly his best idea, but he had to admit that he felt a lot more relaxed afterward. As he urged Matilda on down the road to a canter, his thoughts were on whether or not he should come clean to Eir or keep it a secret. It was just this once, after all, and that shouldn't hurt the woman he loved. Perhaps if she were waiting for him at home he would have felt differently, but since she was back in Hammerfell and he was here, he figured she didn't need to know. He didn't plan on it happening again.

It wasn't long before he sensed the creature's eyes on him again and he growled under his breath. In the mood that he was in, he wasn't willing to take much more. Especially from a creature he couldn't see and couldn't kill. He soothed Matilda and kept her as calm as possible since she never got used to the thing watching them. Helgrim felt like lashing out at something. Where were those undead when he needed them? Or bandits, bandits would work as well. Then again, Tilly would probably kill them all before he could get there and smash their skulls in. That thought brought a smile to his sneering face and he sighed. Surely his tenseness wasn't helping the mare at all, so he let it go. For now. He slid his hand down her neck in a soothing motion and leaned forward, showing her he trusted her. She could find their way back home without his guidance and without his interference probably better than she could with it. He dropped the reins and let her have her head. The mare snorted and shied slightly, then understood his actions and moved to a trot. Her hooves on the first bridge seemed loud to his ears, but he gathered that was because it was dark and his senses had come alive. He thought if he focused he could hear the creature breathing, but tossed that away as pure imagination.

It took longer than it would in daylight, almost all night, to get to Kynesgrove but they eventually made it. The moon was setting as he dismounted and unsaddled the mare, then let her go into the pen and gave her a bucket full of grain to eat as well as hay beside her. He made sure her trough was full of water and then patted her once more. Turning to go into the inn he nearly ran into Kjeld the elder and stopped quickly.

"Good morning, Helgrim." Kjeld emphasized the 'morning' in his greeting making the point known. He understood the other man had been out all night.

"Morning, Kjeld. Look, it was a long ride. I'd like to get some sleep before I have to get up for work."  
"Of course. I'm sure you would. It's not my business who you spend your nights with, but at least think of your cousin. She was worried when you didn't return last night."

"Worried? Nonsense, Iddra knew that I was going to Anga's Mill. Surely she understood that I might end up staying the night. Right?" Perhaps not for the reasons that he had ended up staying, but he had thought it reasonable to think he'd stayed to help with the lumber.

"With all the talk that's been going on in Windhelm about a murderer, she was worried about you and I had to hear about it ALL night long. Don't ever do that again. Hear me?"

Helgrim understood now. It wasn't the fact that he'd been gone all day and night and was returning in the wee hours of the morning that was bothering Kjeld, it was the fact that he'd had to hear his wife talk to him all night about her worry for Helgrim. He gave Kjeld a clap on the shoulder as he passed by and nodded.

"Don't worry, cousin, I'll make sure not to interfere with your blissful solitude again." With that, he left Kjeld and walked into the inn, soaking up the warmth he felt there for a minute before heading to his bedroom. He would get a little bit of sleep before he had to get up again and go to work in the quarry to mine the stone that he would need for his house. Everything was coming together for his project and he wanted to keep it that way. No delays. This time next year he would have Eir sitting beside him and they would be in their own home, perhaps expecting a child of their own. With that thought, and others of the betrayal he felt toward Eir, he fell asleep in the early hours of the morning. He didn't wake again until near supper time. He didn't even realize it until he was dressed and had left the room. He expected to see sunshine coming through the windows but instead saw darkness. Iddra came up and hugged him, not letting him go for a good three minutes. Helgrim hugged her back and smiled, but when his cousin stepped back and slapped his face, he was surprised.

"Iddra?"  
"That's what you get, you jerk, for making me worry about you." She nodded, turned and walked away to clean the counter.

Helgrim rubbed his cheek where she had slapped him and sighed. Women were often perplexing and he hadn't even tried to figure them out, but there were times like these that he wished he knew what made them tick. He swallowed and then moved up to the counter and sat down on a stool, looking at her.  
"Iddra, I'm sorry for making you worry. I should have known you would be thinking of the killer in Windhelm when I didn't show up. However, let me tell you this. When I am not here, I have Matilda with me and she is better than any guard dog I could ever have. Seeing that horse fight is certainly not something I wish you to see, but it is definitely something that once you see it you realize that I'm protected. Don't ever think I would be caught unaware by some stupid bandit, thief or other ruffian. Alright?" He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it lightly.

"Alright. I suppose. So, is Aeri going to sell you the wood?"

"Aye. She said the first shipment should be here within three to five days. I'm really looking forward to this. Would you like to go with me tomorrow to scout out the site for the house?"

"That's good to hear. You know you don't have to move out, right? You always have a place here, but I suppose I will go with you to look for a house site." She smiled and then moved her hand, continuing to clean the counter.

Helgrim was pleased to see that she didn't hold a grudge, that she had actually just been afraid that the murderer in Windhelm had somehow gotten the drop on him and killed him. He was flattered that she thought of him so much, but he needed his own place. If for nothing else just so he didn't have anymore run-ins with Kjeld at the early morning hours. Iddra brought him his dinner and then left him to it as she went to visit with her husband and son. As he ate his meal, Helgrim unwillingly thought about Aeri and how she had reacted to him being gone from her bed when she awoke. He really should have stayed and talked with her, but it wasn't like they were in a relationship or anything. He had told Eir he would return for her. He had to keep his word to her. He would remain faithful to her from this day forward. Never again would he let his guard down and allow his body to make the decisions that his brain should be making.

The next day he and Iddra walked around the area searching for just the right spot for him to build the house. There was a spot he thought would be perfect, but he couldn't build there because it was the sacred Kyne's Grove that the village is named for. He'd tried to get Iddra to see that it was just silly to think that a grove of trees were sacred, but he couldn't dissuade her so they started looking again. Finally, he found a spot that was near the road large enough for both the house and the stable he intended to build. He marked it with a stick that had a piece of fabric attached to it and left with Iddra. He would return in the coming days to measure it out and stake it properly to show where everything would be located. He knew Matilda would love it because she would have the entire stable all to herself. She wouldn't have to share it with chickens. He'd seen her chasing Iddra's chickens away with her head down and ears flattened, much like she did when she went after the bandits she enjoyed taking down so much. It was only a matter of time before she ended up killing one of the chickens. Best to separate them as soon as possible before that happened.

Over the next week Helgrim staked off the area that showed where the house would be built and the stable as well. He also continued mining in the quarry to ensure he had enough stone to build the house, the stable and fireplaces that were going to be necessary. He was hoping the wood would arrive soon, but each day it never came and he told himself that it would come the next day. After ten days had passed Helgrim realized that he would have to ride to Anga's Mill and speak with Aeri to find out what happened with the order. Had she been upset by his leaving that she decided not to sell him the wood? That thought upset him because he didn't think Aeri was like that, but who knew how a woman would react after what happened between them? On the eleventh day, he saddled Matilda and rode to the mill to see Aeri. This time he left before dawn arrived so they would get there earlier than one in the afternoon. They arrived around eleven in the morning and he sat upon Matilda and surveyed the scene. There were logs tossed haphazardly around and the mill saw wasn't working. He couldn't see anyone outside and his mind went immediately on alert. He was not the only one, Matilda's nostrils were flared as they took in everything she could. He dismounted and left the mare loose in case there was danger. He took his bow out of the special scabbard he'd made for it on the saddle and readied himself for anything.  
"Hello?" he called out, searching for any signs of life. As he got closer to Aeri's door, he noticed it was open. Upon reaching the door he realized it hadn't been left open, but had instead been kicked in. His mind immediately went to warrior mode and he clenched. It was as if something had happened to a family member. Aeri had become close enough that his mind thought of her that way and he would hate to see something happen to her. The mare nudged him with her nose and let out a breath, ears flicking back and forth, feet shifting with nervousness. Helgrim looked back at her and nodded, then crouched low with the bow readied to shoot an arrow if needed. He didn't receive an answer to his greeting and that worried him. Someone should have been around to hear that. He moved closer, sensing that Matilda was following, too, at least as far as the steps up to the house. He pushed the door open and waited for a moment for his eyes to adjust and he saw Aeri on the floor. He looked her over without getting any closer and was relieved to see that she was breathing. At least she was still alive. He gazed around the room, but didn't see anyone else there so he moved closer to Aeri and rolled her over onto her back.

"Ungh." Aeri groaned and then blinked several times before opening her eyes. "H-Helgrim?"

"I'm here, Aeri. Just lie still." He kept her from getting up and closed his eyes, hovering his hands above her and focusing his thoughts on healing her. The warm glow radiated from his hands and down into her body as he healed her with his magic. He slowly pulled away and stepped back, offering her a hand to stand on her feet again. "Is that better?"

"Aye. Thank you, Helgrim." She took his hand and rose to stand beside him.

"What happened here? When the wood didn't arrive, I decided to come and see what was holding up the shipment."

"Oh, it was terrible! They came in just as we had finished work for the night. Oh dear, have you checked on Leifur and Kodrir? They tried to fight them off, but I fear they were unable to. We must find them."

"We will, Aeri, but first tell me who it was that came here."

"Bandits. A whole gang of them. I never had such fear in my life, Helgrim." She pulled in her bottom lip and sighed, then stepped closer to him. "It was awful! Those stinky men and their grubby hands."  
"Did they... Did they touch you, Aeri?" Helgrim may not want to think of her that way, but he couldn't help having a protective interest in her. He'd taken her virginity and that was important to women as far as he understood it. They seemed to place a lot more on it than men did.

"Not like that. Leifur and Kodrir kept them from doing anything more than grabbing here and there. Oh Helgrim, please do find them!"

"I will, lass. I want you to go outside and stand next to Matilda. If she takes off, don't follow her, she will come back to you. Alright?"

"Your horse? Alright. I trust you, Helgrim." She stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, then turned and walked slowly outside to stand next to the painted mare.

Helgrim left the house and nodded to Matilda who seemed to know the importance of keeping the woman safe. He moved along toward the common house and found a few more logs on the ground here as well. They must have rolled down from the mill or the hill behind the houses. Either way, he found a foot poking out from beneath a small pile of them and feared the worst. He only had the ability to heal the living, not bring the dead back from the dead. He got closer to the foot and looked around. The bandits, he suspected, were long gone, but it never hurt to be a tad cautious.

"Leifur? Kodrir?" he called softly, nudging the foot lightly. He heard a groan and was delighted because that meant whomever was trapped under the logs was still living. He could heal them. He let his hand hover over the man's foot and closed his eyes, focusing his magic into healing the body. He felt the magic draining from his body, but he could also tell that the person trapped was no longer as injured as they were. He stopped before the magic was completely drained from him and then started to move the logs out of the way. Carefully. When he got enough of the logs out of the way, he helped Kodrir out from under the logs and to his own feet.

"Good to see you, Kodrir. Aeri's been worried about you. Said you fought the attackers. Where's Leifur?"  
"Aye, Helgrim. Thanks for getting me outta there. Leifur made it to the house before the logs came down."

"Thanks. I left Aeri by my horse and I know she'd be happy to see you." He said by way of sending the man off so he could go find Leifur. He then moved around the logs and up to the stairs that led to the common house. Here he could see the door was closed and hadn't been busted in. He wasn't sure what he would find on the other side of the door, but he knocked lightly.

"Leifur?" he called. He heard a shuffling inside and a couple of grunts as well. He was about to bust the door in when it opened and revealed Leifur behind it.

"Ah, so good to see you," Leifur said in a relieved voice, looking around Helgrim in case the bandits were still out there. "Are Aeri and Kodrir alright?"

"Aye, they are. I've seen to them already. Are you injured? I can heal you," he offered, standing upright again and putting the arrow away as he lowered the bow.

"Good, I'm glad they're alright. No, I was able to make it here before they got to me and barred the door so they couldn't get in. Thanks for the help though."

"No problem. Come, I'm sure Aeri will be beside herself to see that you are just fine." He stepped back and let the man go ahead of him. He thought it odd that he had no injuries at all, considering the fact that he had fought the bandits off with Kodrir. He swallowed and kept his suspicions to himself. There was no proof of anything yet, so he would just go along for now. He walked back over to Aeri and Kodrir with Leifur and the three of them were joyed to see one another. He remained apart from them and stood next to Matilda surveying the area in case any bandits tried to come back and finish the job. He would find out later just what had happened and he could wait. For now.

Helgrim walked back to Aeri's house with her after she had seen both Kodrir and Leifur were alright. He looked at the door and decided he would fix it after he made sure Aeri was alright and resting comfortably in her own bed. He had his arm wrapped around her waist and though he knew she had been through an ordeal that day and he shouldn't be allowing his body to react the way it was, he couldn't stop it. She was a woman and she was in his arms. He didn't act on it, however, because of what she had endured that day. He laid her down into the bed and remained standing beside it.

"You should rest for a few days, Aeri. Kodrir will be out of it for a few days as well. I'll help Leifur around here. It's the least I can do to help you." He gave her a small smile and then raised her hand, kissing the back of it before lowering it again and turning to leave.

"Thank you, Helgrim. I don't know what..."

"Have no fear, Aeri. I'll protect you. Sleep. You need it." He didn't want or need her thinking of what might have happened had he not shown up. He was trying not to himself. She mumbled something incoherently and he shook his head before exiting the house. He wanted to make sure to fix her door, but he would do that after she slept for a bit. Since he couldn't do that yet, he would have to focus on getting the yard cleaned up. He looked around and saw Matilda sniffing around Aeri's chicken shelter and when he walked over there he saw that both of her chickens had been killed. He didn't think it had been Tilly who'd done it, but he couldn't be a hundred percent sure. She did have a fascination with chickens that bordered on psychotic. He patted her shoulder and took off the bridle, then unsaddled her. He knew she wouldn't go too far, but he planned on the rest of his day being taken up by cleaning the yard of the damage the bandits had done to it.

This wasn't what he had planned on the day being like, but he was glad to help Aeri. She hadn't deserved what had happened that day. The fact that she had nearly been raped hadn't escaped his mind. The only reason she hadn't been was because Kodrir and Leifur fought the men off. He would have to thank them both personally later. He wasn't going so far as to say that he was forsaking Eir for Aeri, but the woman had wormed her way into his heart much like a sibling would. He felt very protective of her. He supposed he had that sense about all women and perhaps that was sexist, but he couldn't help the way he was raised. At least he wasn't demanding that all women stay at home and tend to the fire and learn to sew. He had no problem with females taking part of a mostly male dominated world. The fact that Aeri had taken over when her father passed on was impressive. Most women, at least in his opinion, would have let someone else take over and found a man to marry. Apparently he had found the small handful of women in his circle of acquaintances and friends that weren't like that. Still, he had the urge to protect them, even if they didn't need it.

It took him and Leifur most of the rest of the day to move all the logs back to where they needed to be and to clean up the debris in the yard and on the road. Not wanting to bother Aeri or Kodrir, he decided to cook up the chickens that had been killed during the attack for supper for them outside. The two men sat together on a bench outside, each wearing a cloak to stay warm, and talked about the events of the day.

"Kodrir and I were on the mill working the saw. I heard them coming before I saw them," Leifur said and took a bite of chicken, chewing slowly. "By the time they came into sight, they'd already reached Aeri's house. We jumped down off the mill, but were immediately swamped by bandits ourselves. That was when I heard her screaming." He swallowed and shook his head. "It was awful, Helgrim. I gave Kodrir a look and we both pushed through the bandits and made it to her inside the house just in time. Three of them were holding her down and another was getting ready to..." He shuddered and looked at his hands.

"It's alright, Leifur. I know what almost happened. Go on."

"Thanks. After we got them away from her and back outside, they surrounded us again. By this point one of them had loosed the logs to come down on us. I dodged away and ran toward the common house. I guess Kodrir wasn't that lucky." He felt bad about that. Worrying about saving his own skin instead of making sure his friend was also safe.

"Don't worry, Leifur. Kodrir made it. So did Aeri. You did what you could to survive. I think Kodrir would have done the same had he been in your shoes."

"You're a good friend, Helgrim. You know that?"

"I'm just a friend, Leifur. That's all." He smiled and finished up the chicken he was eating. "I think I'll take some food to Aeri. Would you take some to Kodrir?"

"Sure. See you tomorrow, Helgrim." Leifur prepared a plate for Kodrir and left to bring it to him.

"Tomorrow, Leifur."

He prepared a plate for Aeri and watched Leifur go to the common house to bring Kodrir's plate to him and turned, heading to Aeri's house. He pushed the door open and saw her sitting up in bed, hugging her knees. She looked like she had been crying recently.

"Aeri?" He noticed her jump a little and he sighed, but figured that was to be expected after almost being raped. "It's just me. I brought you some food." He held up the plate of chicken for her to see. "I'll buy you some new chickens. Yours were killed in the attack."

"Thank you. I guess I am a little hungry." She frowned when he said her chickens had been killed, but she'd known they wouldn't be there forever. Nodding when he said he would get her new ones, she patted the bed next to her. "Come sit?"

Helgrim thought about refusing to sit next to her, but he decided against it. She might think he didn't want to be near her after what happened. He walked over to the bed and sat down, handing her the plate of food and a fork to eat it with. Then he looked her over to make sure she wasn't hurt anywhere. He couldn't see any cuts or scrapes, just a few bruises. He was relieved, but then he started to wonder about internal problems that might be going on in her body. Unfortunately, he wasn't an actual healer and couldn't help with those injuries if she had any. The only healing he could do was the minor stuff. It stopped bleeding and closed wounds, but little else. His gaze found her eyes when her hand touched his and he swallowed.

"I can usually handle whatever the Divines throw at me, but this... This is just too much, Helgrim." Her hands shook slightly as she brought the fork to her mouth and chewed the food.

"Aye, I don't wish this even upon my worst enemies and please, call me Grim. I believe we are close enough that it's appropriate." He gave her a smile and then leaned back slightly.

"A-about that. Did I scare you off? I knew that if I told you before you wouldn't have made love to me. I wanted it. I wanted you." She wasn't shy about it, nor was she embarrassed. She was glad Helgrim Frost-Blood had been the first man she had ever been with and even though she knew he had a woman back in Hammerfell, she hoped he would be the only man she would ever be with.

"I wasn't scared, Aeri. I just needed some time to... think. I care for you. I do. However, I have to think of the promise I made to Eir before I left Hammerfell. I gave my word that I would return for her. That I loved her. That hasn't changed." He looked at his hands as he spoke, not sure he wanted to see her eyes.

"I know that, Grim, I swear I do, but do you not suppose that well, until you are actually wed to her you might be able to well..." she said, her words trailing off because she wasn't sure how he would react.

"I can't, Aeri. What happened will have to be a one time thing. I'm sorry. I'm not that kind of man and you shouldn't be that kind of woman, Aeri. That does not mean I won't be your friend and visit with you and keep you safe. As I said, I care for you. A lot."

"You are unlike most of the men here in Skyrim, Grim. If I had offered that to, say Leifur for example, he would have leaped at the chance." Interestingly it did not make her hate Helgrim for what he'd said. Instead it made her like him all that much more. He had a lot of honor and she liked to see that in a man. No other man would ever be good enough for her, she knew that now. If she ever found a man to settle down with that wasn't Helgrim, she knew it would be just that, settling. She would of course want Helgrim for her husband, but he was committed to that woman in Hammerfell, Eir.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Aeri." He smiled and then stood up, stretching. "I'm going to work on that door since you're awake and it's bound to get cold tonight. Don't you dare get up except to use the chamber pot, then you get right back into bed. Understand?"

"Understood, Grim. Thank you."

"No worries." He nodded and then went to work on her door. It took his mind off the fact that she was in bed and had basically just offered herself to him until Eir arrived in Skyrim. If he had not given his word to Eir he would have taken her up on the offer. She was a beautiful woman, but since he had and he was a man of his word, he had to turn her down. His imagination would have to do for now and that ran very rampant as he worked on the door until it was just right. He may not have trained as a carpenter growing up, but he knew enough to get by. It was the reason he was doing most of the work on his house by himself instead of hiring a crew to do it for him.

It was dark by the time he had finished with the door and it closed, keeping the cold out and the warmth inside. He had started a fire in the fireplace and brought Aeri a mug of warm ale to drink while in bed. He was looking out the window at how dark it had become and sighed. He wouldn't be riding home to Kynesgrove tonight which meant he was staying the night here at the mill. He didn't think he should stay in Aeri's house with her, but he didn't want to leave her alone either. His protective nature won out over his honorable side and he decided to stay the night in her house.

"Do you have an extra blanket? I'll make up a bed on the floor here."

"Nonsense, Grim. The bed is large enough for us both and you know it." She crossed her arms in front of her as she saw him look at her. "Have no fear. I do not intend to seduce you tonight. I hurt too much." She smiled and relaxed her arms. "I just feel... better when you're here."

"Very well. No touching." He laughed and pulled his cloak on. "I have to go check on Tilly. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He left the house and sighed as he walked over to the mare. She was munching on some short grass and lifted her head when she saw him. Nickering, she walked to him and nuzzled with her furry nose. She stood there, eyes closed and just accepted that he needed a hug. Helgrim leaned on the mare for some time before pulling his head back and patting her on the shoulder. He walked around and made sure she had some hay to eat and water to drink. Once he was sure she was all set, he turned to go into the house again. She didn't need a blanket since she was a cold weather horse and was used to it. He entered Aeri's house again and shut the door, locking it before taking off his cloak. He gazed at the bed and saw Aeri had listened to him and stayed in bed. He wasn't sure it was such a good idea to sleep in the same bed with her, but he wasn't about to argue with an injured woman. He took off his boots, but left everything else on as he lifted the covers and slid beneath them.

"Tilly's all good?" she asked him.

"Aye. I gave her some hay and filled the water trough. She'll be fine until morning at least."

"That's good." She yawned and then shook her head, wincing as she laid back down in the bed. "Tell me of Hammerfell, Grim. What is it like?"

"It's a lot warmer than this. It could almost be considered hot, but I know it's even warmer in Elsweyr. I had a friend who spent a summer there and said it was worse than anything he'd ever experienced in his life. My family and I spent a week at an oasis in the desert one year and it was amazing. Just to see how the grass ended and the sand began was interesting. There are sparse woods, nothing at all like it is here. I've never seen so many forests and trees growing so closely to one another. It's really quite amazing."

He looked down at her and smiled when he saw she had fallen asleep. He smoothed a tendril of blonde hair away from her face and then leaned down, kissing her forehead. He moved carefully so he was lying down without waking her and kept his arm wrapped around her. His mind soon took flight as he drifted to sleep and showed him dreams of Hammerfell. He remembered the week they had gone to the oasis, staying at an inn there. Each day they had gone out and played in the small lake and he had played the slaughterfish so many times he couldn't count them on one hand. Kenna had only been a baby then so she had stayed with his mother, but his brother and two other sisters had been swimming with him. They would holler out "Eeek" and he would swim toward their voice, using his hands as a mouth to grab their feet. If he got them, they were then "out" and he went on to the next one. Since he had the best swimming ability out of the four of them, he was almost always the slaughterfish. It was a fun week, but he was glad to get back home when it was time.

They had only gone that one year, but it was something that stuck in Helgrim's mind as a special time in his life. They had also taken a trip to the foothills of a small mountain and done rock climbing one year. Unfortunately, his sisters didn't like that trip all that much, but he and Koli had enjoyed spending the time with their father, and that wasn't something they got to do very much. Their father's job was being a hunter and a guide to people who thought themselves hunters but were in fact usually wealthy upper class people that knew very little about hunting and had his father there to keep them safe. It was on a trip like that where he had followed and seen his father kill the bear. However, being a hunter and a guide like that meant he spent a lot of time away from home, sending all of the money back home for the family. That was one of the reasons Helgrim had decided to leave home when he did. One less mouth to feed would mean more for everyone else. While he missed his home, he knew it was important that he strike out and live his own life. To become his own man. As it usually did, his mind wandered to Eir and their future together. He wondered if he should tell her about his transgression with Aeri, but since nothing else had happened between them he decided not to say anything to her about Aeri. Why ruin what he could potentially have with Eir over a one time mistake? With that thought put away, he spent the rest of the night dreaming of home and his family. He missed them, but knew he would soon be with them again. He just needed to get the house built first and then he could arrange for them to come and live here in Skyrim. Never did he think for a moment that things would run out of his control and derail his plans of reuniting him with his family and his love. Never did he think that his life here in Skyrim would be thrown into such disarray that he would have to rethink his future. Never did he think he might never even have a future.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The plans for Helgrim's house had gone off schedule, but after he got everything running at the mill again for Aeri and she and Kodrir were feeling better, he returned to Kynesgrove with the first shipment of wood that he would need for building. Technically it was the second shipment, but since the first shipment had been ruined by the bandits' attack. With the arrival of the shipment of wood, he was able to begin shaping the foundation of his home with wood and stone. He had an obstacle since returning from Anga's Mill, however, in the form of his cousin-in-law, Kjeld. The man thought he 'owned' the village and therefore felt that everything had to go through him. He didn't like Helgrim's house plan, nor did he like the way the man had gotten so close to Iddra. Due to this personal feeling against him, Kjeld refused to grant Helgrim permission to build his house. Iddra assured him that no one owned the village, the least of all her husband, but he just wasn't sure about it. The more and more Kjeld did to step in his way, the more and more Helgrim grew to despise the man.  
One day, two months after he'd had the wood arriving as scheduled and he had been forming stone blocks for the foundation of the house, Kjeld came to the building site. Helgrim knew that things had finally gotten to the point of no return. Here was where he would take a stand against Kjeld and his disapproval. He looked up from the pile of stone he was working with and looked at Kjeld, who'd crossed his arms in front of his chest and was staring at him with a grimace on his face.

"I thought I told you that you couldn't build here?" he asked sharply.

"I thought I told you that I just don't care?" Helgrim shot back just as sharply.

"This is my village, boy and I won't have you ruining it with your ugly impression of a house."

"Oh, that's a pretty big word, Kjeld. Are you sure you know what it means?"

"Shut up and get this shit outta here. Why don't you go find some place far from here to build? Maybe over near your slutty bitch?"

Helgrim snapped his head up and stared at Kjeld with anger in his eyes. How dare the man speak of Aeri that way? He rose to his feet and wiped his hands on his pants before curling them into fists.  
"You had best take that back, Kjeld," he warned.

"Or what? You'll have the guards lock me up? Good luck getting them to come out here. They don't care about us."

"What in Oblivion is your problem anyway? What has crawled up your ass and made you lash out at Aeri like that?"

"Oh come off it. Don't think for one second that you were that bitch's first trick. Before you'd come around there'd been others. Others that were better looking than you, I might add."

"Is that so? You're saying that she was a loose moraled woman before I met her?"

"Aye, that's exactly what I'm saying. I tasted her fruit and found her too damaged to settle on, so I went with Iddra."

Helgrim couldn't hold it back any further. He pulled his arm back and let it fly at the other man's face with the full force of an angered man, which he was. He knew for a fact that Kjeld was lying because he was the only man Aeri had ever lain with. It was satisfying to watch Kjeld fall to the ground from the strike to his face and he didn't feel the least bit sorry as he watched the blood start pouring out of his nose.

"Struck a chord eh?"

"Damn right you did, you fool! I'm inclined to believe that she rebuffed your attentions and you felt the need to make up this lie about her, however, if you ever talk that way about her again I swear I'll do more than just knock your head about."

Kjeld picked himself up from the ground and wiped his nose with his sleeve, staring hard at Helgrim. He had his suspicions confirmed now, the fact that Helgrim had been with Aeri.

"One more thing," Helgrim said to Kjeld, keeping the man from going anywhere. "Actually two things. First, I'm building here and there's nothing you can do about it. Second, you will divorce yourself from my cousin. She doesn't need you mooching off her anymore. You don't make her happy and she deserves that."

"What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?" Kjeld asked, taking a step back in case Helgrim decided to hit him again.

"I know you're going to listen to me because you understand what I'm saying. Even if you don't, you know that I can make you disappear and tell everyone you ran away. Like a dog with his tail between his legs." Helgrim saw Kjeld thinking and waited, letting the man work it all out in his head.

"If I divorce myself from her and leave, then you'll leave me alone?"

"Aye. As long as she is free to find someone she loves and you take your sorry ass away from here, things will be just fine."

"Alright then. I'll get everything started on the procedure then. Just... Just stay away from me." Kjeld stepped back one more time and looked around, searching for an escape route.

"Whatever little man. Go and let me get back to work." Helgrim shook his head and went back to working on the stone pile. He heard Kjeld take off and thought nothing of it. There, he'd put his foot down and protected his cousin and perhaps given her a chance at happiness with the ever flighty Fjolnar. He hadn't seen his friend in over two months time, but he knew he would see him again. Perhaps after the war was finished they could all settle down in Kynesgrove and be happy. Helgrim spent the rest of the day working on the stonework and getting the first round of stones on the ground, leaving spaces where the logs would have to go for supports. By the time it got dark, he was more than ready to stop and have something to eat before washing up and going to bed. He walked the short distance back to the inn from where he was building and went up the stairs, then inside.

"Oh Grim!" Helgrim turned his head to see his cousin, Iddra, walking quickly toward him and it appeared as if she'd been crying. He opened his arms to her and held her.

"What's wrong, Iddra?"

"Oh Grim, it's Kjeld. Both of them. They say they're leaving and taking everything with them. All the money I've earned and everything that I have put away. I'll be penniless."

"Nonsense, Iddra. I had a talk with your husband and told him it would be best to divorce himself from you and move on. He will take just enough to get him to Windhelm and rent a room for a week or so. I'm sure he'll find work quick enough. If your son is going with him then that is two bodies that can find work suitable for them to survive on."

"You talked to him? Oh dear, what have you done?"

"I thought you were unhappy. I merely told him that and suggested that he let you have the opportunity to find happiness."

"I appreciate your concern, Grim, but I wish you had just left things alone."

"I am sorry, cousin. I wanted you to be happy."

"I know, Grim. I do, but not like this. He's angry and I'm afraid he's taking it out on me, not you."  
"That'll stop right now, Iddra. Where is he?"

"They're in their room right now packing. Please, Grim, don't hurt him."

"I'll do what is necessary, Iddra. He will not take all of your money. I swear that to you."

Helgrim kissed her forehead and walked toward the room he knew Kjeld shared with his son and pushed the door open. The two men stopped packing and stared at Helgrim, then fear crept into their eyes and he had to admit it was a good feeling to know that they both feared him. He shook his head and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him so they weren't bothered.

"What's this I hear about you taking everything Iddra has earned working here?"

"It's not your business any longer, Helgrim. Leave it alone," the elder Kjeld said, going back to his packing.

"Ah, but you are wrong, Kjeld. It is my business because Iddra is my cousin and you are hurting her." He cracked his knuckles and saw the elder Kjeld jump visibly.

"I ain't hurting her. I just need money if I'm to leave her here. She'll make more. My son and I ain't gonna be able to."

"Oh? Are your backs broken? Perhaps you have a disease that is inhibiting your ability to work?"  
"Nothing like that, Helgrim. It's just that... You know, it'll take us time to get settled somewhere and look for work."

"Aye, I know how long it'll take. You don't need all the money. You will take a portion of it, but the majority will remain here, with Iddra, because she was the one who earned it. Not you."  
Kjeld the Younger had been watching the exchange for a while and now had enough bluster to feel that he could stand up to Helgrim. He stepped forward and held his fists up in preparation to fight.

"You ain't stoppin us, you fool! We're takin all of it and ain't no one gonna stop us."

"Really?" Helgrim asked, turning to look at the young man that was about his age. He saw the fists and sighed, but put his own up. "Are you sure this is what you want, kid?"

"Why, are you scared? Come on, you coward!" Kjeld the Younger made to hit Helgrim who dodged and lashed out with a fist of his own, connecting with the youngster's cheek and sending him backward.  
"I'm not a coward, kid. I just happen to know when to fight and when to back off. You should have backed off." He dodged another of Kjeld the Younger's fists and thrust his own forward into the kid's stomach, causing him to bend forward and groan in pain.

"Kjeld, I suggest you take just a thousand gold and leave the rest and get out of here before your son gets himself into more trouble."

Kjeld the elder, seeing the way Helgrim fought and the fact that his son was getting the worst end of it, nodded and took just a thousand gold and left the rest of the money. He finished packing and stood in front of his son.

"Come on, son. Let's get our things and leave this place. Your mother has made her choice and it's not with me. Let's leave before anything else happens to us."

Kjeld the Younger sneered at Helgrim as he stood upright again, holding his gut as it now hurt. He said nothing more, just grabbed his knapsack and left the room behind his father. Helgrim leaned back and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in to begin with. Why couldn't anything be easy in his life? Well, that wasn't a nice thought because for the first part of his life he realized it had been easy. Living in Hammerfell hadn't been a cakewalk, but it hadn't been as hard as coming back to Skyrim and starting a new life. He loved his cousin and would do whatever it took to keep her happy, even if that meant throwing out her useless husband and pathetic son. After a few minutes to calm himself, Helgrim finally left the room and brought the pouches of money over to Iddra, handing them to her.

"He left with just a thousand gold. The rest of it is there." He nodded to the pouches. "Are you alright?"  
"I will be." She sighed and then leaned against Helgrim. "You are like a big brother instead of a younger cousin. Thank you."

"Of course, Iddra. You're family. That means everything to me." He gave her a smile and then kissed her forehead. "Now I think I'll take a bath before supper. You'll eat with me, aye?"

"Aye, Grim. I'll have it ready for you. If you give me a few minutes I can heat up the water for you."

"Forget it, cousin. I can heat up my own water. I'm not a guest at the inn. I've become part of it and I will help you in the evenings if you need it." He gave her another hug before walking away so she couldn't stop him. He started the water to heat and pulled the tub into his room. As he filled the tub with the water, he thought of Aeri and the reaction he'd had to what Kjeld had said about her. It was obvious that he cared about her more than just a friend, though he felt a friend would have stuck up for her in the same manner if they'd heard something like that. Since he'd had intimate contact with Aeri, he assumed it went beyond the friend defending a friend situation. He wasn't taking it further and saying that he loved her, because he didn't feel he did. He loved Eir and wouldn't abandon her. However, he did care a lot about Aeri and wanted to make sure no one slandered her or hurt her in other ways. When the tub was filled, he undressed and got in, washing himself up after a hard day of working on the house and two fights with the Kjelds.

He hadn't meant to fight with them, but he had been wanting to say something to Kjeld the elder for a while concerning Iddra and today he'd just gone too far and Helgrim had needed to put him in his place. At least now if Fjolnar came around again he would be able to spend time with Iddra without fear of stepping on Kjeld's toes. For that Helgrim felt pride because he had made that happen. Something told him that Iddra and Fjolnar would be happy together. Funny how life puts people in your orbit and they might not always be there, but when they are, you know them so completely that it makes you complete. Helgrim felt like that when he thought of the friends he'd made since arriving in Skyrim. Not only those around Kynesgrove, but those in Windhelm and even Dawnstar. He would eventually need to get back there and visit with Rustleif and Seren again. They'd had their baby by now, surely.  
After the bath, he dragged the tub outside to empty it. Then he sat down in the common room and Iddra sat beside him and they ate their supper together. Chatting of mundane things during their meal, each stayed away from the major event of the day. The fact that Kjeld had left and taken their son with him. Sure, the boy was a young man, but he did feel a little guilty about Iddra losing her only child. Perhaps she wasn't too old to have another with Fjolnar. Even so, he'd heard through his travels that there was an orphanage somewhere in Riften that had children in need of new homes and she could always adopt. When they had finished supper, Helgrim excused himself and went to bed. His thoughts were split in a bunch of different ways. One was on Aeri and how she was doing since he helped her a couple months ago. He hadn't gone to the mill, just accepted the wood that arrived on schedule. Another was on Eir and how she was doing, as well, and if she was thinking of him at all. He missed her deeply, but he supposed that absence could make his heart grow fonder of her. Perhaps. Finally, he thought about Iddra and Fjolnar and whether he'd done the right thing for both of them. He'd seen how happy they'd been together for the brief time they'd had, but would it be enough? He wasn't sure, but he'd find out in the coming months. He fell asleep and dreamed of home. Of his family and friends. Of Eir and Aeri. In his dream they kept changing from one to the other and back again. He wasn't certain why, but chalked it up to it being a dream and the fact that it didn't matter because it was a dream. Unknown to him, things were about to be shaken up in Helgrim's world.

For a while things went well for Helgrim, but of course life decided it couldn't stay that way forever. A few days after Kjeld and his son had left the inn, in fact left Kynesgrove altogether, he received a visit from someone he hadn't expected one from. As he was laying stone around the house he heard a wagon and lifted his head. He was surprised to see Aeri sitting in the driver seat and pulling the horse to a stop. She waved and so Helgrim did, too, even if he was confused as to the visit. Was she out of wood? Surely that wasn't the case. He'd never thought he would run a mill out of wood. He wiped his hands on a rag and stood up, meeting Aeri halfway between the wagon and the house.

"What a pleasant surprise, Aeri. You are looking very well today."

"Thank you, Grim. The house is coming along nicely. You have done all of this yourself?"

"Aye. When I finish the first floor I'll be having Hermir from Windhelm come and help me with the second floor and roof."

"I've seen her a few times when I went to Windhelm, though I must admit I haven't had a chance to talk to her." Helgrim noticed the barely concealed look of jealousy on Aeri's face, though it was a brief feeling.

"She's a nice person. A skilled blacksmith that will soon be a master herself if she keeps at it." He smiled and then led Aeri to a bench and sat down with her. "What's going on? Not that I mind the visit, but I didn't think you would leave the mill in anyone's hands but your own."

"That's true, I had a hard time leaving it with Kodrir and Leifur, but I had to come today to see you, Grim." She swallowed and then lifted her eyes to gaze at his own, letting out a soft breath. "I came here today to tell you..." She paused here, not really sure how to proceed, other than just spit it out. "I'm with child, Grim. Your child." She clasped her hands in front of her and bit her bottom lip, nervously.

Helgrim felt as if he'd been kicked by a horse and knocked to the ground, then stomped on by said horse all in the same moment. Aeri was pregnant? With his child? Oh, this was certainly not at all what he expected to hear from her as he saw her drive up in the wagon. He swallowed to wet his suddenly dry mouth and moved his eyes from her to stare at his hands. He wasn't sure what was right to do here. He wasn't "in love" with Aeri, but he did care for her. He loved Eir, but he couldn't wed her yet. He shook his head slightly and the panic started to sink in. He was sweaty, his breathing had increased and he was searching for a way out of this. Then he felt her hands on his own and he turned his head to look at her once more. His child. She was carrying his child she had said. It brought him back to reality and he let out a steadying breath.

"Um..."  
"It's alright, Grim. I don't expect you to drop everything and marry me, but I thought you should at least know what is going on."

"No, aye. I appreciate that." He swallowed and then looked into her eyes and sighed. "Thank you for telling me."

"You deserve to know." She hadn't been with anyone else, so she knew it was his and was glad he hadn't questioned it. It would have been embarrassing to admit that she hadn't been with any others.

"And you deserve much better, Aeri. You'll worry about nothing. I'll provide for you and the child." He couldn't wed her and he felt horrible about that, but he'd promised himself to Eir. He couldn't break one vow to make another, it wouldn't be right. He could, however, make sure that she and the child would never want for anything ever again. "I'll even help you hire someone to help at the mill so you don't need to do the work yourself." He didn't want her working with the logs if she was pregnant. Surely that wasn't healthy.

"Oh Grim, such a wonderful man you are. It's one of the reasons why I wanted you so much. I don't regret anything and I hope you don't either." Then she looked over his shoulder at the house in progress behind him and nodded. "I should let you get back to work."

"No, Aeri. It can wait a while." Then before he could talk himself out of it, he reached out and cupped her face with one hand and pulled her closer by the waist with the other. One look in her eyes and then his lips touched hers. It was amazing, the feeling you got from knowing a woman was carrying your child and he let it carry his actions through. He felt her hands sliding up her back and into his hair as she kissed him back and he pulled her up and sat her in his lap. He pulled back once and looked at her face, smiling, then returned to her lips and kissed her again. They were in this embrace when his cousin approached with a tray of food and cleared her throat upon seeing what was going on.

"Excuse me, Grim," she said with accusation lingering on her breath. Helgrim quickly pulled back and gazed at Iddra, though he didn't move Aeri off his lap. He was too aroused for that.

"Lunch time already, Iddra?" he asked in a rush as his breathing had increased his words.

"Aye, though it looks like you've got a dining companion already. I'll just leave this here for you." She set the tray down on the bench and made to leave.

"Where are my manners? Iddra, this is Aeri. Aeri, this is my cousin, Iddra. Aeri runs Anga's Mill, Iddra."

"So nice to meet you, Iddra." Aeri offered her hand to the other woman.

"Uh huh." Iddra glared daggers at Helgrim and then took Aeri's hand in her own for a handshake. Her eyes then went to Aeri and she had to pull her hand free lest she attempt to challenge the woman. "Now I understand why my cousin chose to get his lumber from your mill."

"Come on, Iddra. You know it's not like that. You just happened to uh, walk in on a..."

"A what, Grim? Come on, I'd love to hear this." She crossed her arms in front of her and even tapped her foot on the ground.

"Well.." Helgrim began, then realized he didn't really owe her an explanation. He sat Aeri back on the bench and stood up. "I was working on the house, you see. Aeri came here to see me." He swallowed and looked at Aeri, who nodded. "She came to tell me... To tell me that I'm to be a father." He finished and gazed at Iddra again. She was the only family he had out here and he desperately wanted her approval.

"Father? You mean..." Iddra returned her icy gaze to Aeri and now put her hands on her hips like she was accusing Aeri of some sort of bad behavior.

"Aye, so be nice to her. Stop glaring at her." Helgrim moved to step between the women. "We never expected it to happen, cousin. It just did." He reached out and took hold of Iddra's arms, getting her to look him in the eye. "Can't you just be happy for me, Iddra?"

Iddra looked at him and she had to admit that he did seem happy to hear about the news of impending fatherhood. She had expected it to have been with Eir, but apparently the Divines had other plans for her cousin. She still didn't trust Aeri and would reserve judgment. For now.

"If you're happy about it, Grim, I'll be happy for you. I'll let you two have lunch together. I can eat back at the inn. It was nice meeting you, Aeri." Iddra said and though she tried to hide the way she felt when she spoke to the woman, it was still there.

"Thank you, Iddra. I'll be down for supper, don't worry." Helgrim said and kissed his cousin's cheek before she walked away and left him and Aeri alone.

"Your cousin doesn't like me, Grim," Aeri said softly.

"Eh, she'll be fine. She'll come around. Once she gets to know you." He smiled and then pulled her close again. "We should eat lunch, then I need to get back to work." He didn't release her right off, however, and brought her in for a kiss. Knowing that he was going to be a father changed a man. He was excited, though scared at the same time. He pulled away and then sat down on the bench with her.

"I know you have someone else, Grim, but I'm glad you are taking this well." She didn't know if that woman would taking it so well if she knew, but Aeri decided she would just be pleased with what she had. Even knowing that she wouldn't always have Helgrim, she told herself that at least she had him for now. She would take what she could and survive.

"Are you kidding? Though it is not the way things are done, I'm glad to hear that I'm to be a father." Would he have preferred that Eir be the first to carry his child? Sure, what man wouldn't, but the idea of any woman carrying his child made a man realize that he was truly a man and nothing could take that away. "I'm also trying not to think about the future too much. Eir won't be pleased to hear about this, so I shall wait as long as possible before telling her." He nodded and started to eat his lunch. They ate together in companionable silence after that. He found that he kept looking at her still flat stomach and imagined how she would look in the coming months. He couldn't see it fully yet, but he was sure that in time he would.

After they had finished eating, Helgrim helped her back up onto the wagon and cautioned her to be careful, then watched her drive away. When she was out of sight, he went back to working on the stonework of the house. He had a purpose, a reason to finish quickly. It wasn't just for him anymore. He had a child on the way and even if he wasn't marrying the mother he would take care of them both in the way he knew how. By providing shelter and support. He could feel the eyes watching him and didn't even look around. He had just come to know it was there, always. He'd stopped looking for the creature because he never saw anything but eyes and you can't effectively hunt a creature by just its eyes. You needed a body to shoot at.

"Not even you can make me worried today, creature!"

Helgrim worked on until it began to darken and then made his way back down to the inn for his supper. He expected to hear plenty from Iddra about Aeri and the baby. The way he talked about Eir and their future together was sure to conflict with what she had seen that day. He hadn't meant to kiss Aeri, it just sort of happened. He'd been pleased about hearing he was to be a father. He walked into the inn and saw his cousin moving around behind the counter, getting supper ready. He sighed and then went into his room to wash up. When he was done he walked back out and looked at Iddra.  
"Aeri has no illusions about me, you know. She knows I am in love with Eir and is whom I intend to wed." He wanted to make sure that was out there so Iddra didn't think that Aeri was trying to get him to marry her.

"What? She doesn't want you to marry her?"

"Nay. She just felt that I deserved to know about the child. I'm glad she told me."

"How odd. Of course you know this will make her an outcast in social circles, right? To bear a child out of matrimony, I mean."

"She knows what she is doing, Iddra. I told her she will be cared for. I intend to acknowledge my child whether it is legitimate or not." He sat down at the table and Iddra brought the food over, then sat down as well.

"I hope you're right, Grim and she's not doing this just to drag you down."

"Whatever Kjeld told you about her is wrong. She was a virgin when we got together and I believe her when she says there has been no other since. The child is mine and will be taken care of." Iddra sighed and smiled at him, then nodded and placed her hand on his, comfortingly. She would be happy for his sake and pray that things would be just fine after all was said and done. She also hoped that Eir wouldn't take it badly.

Helgrim went to bed after supper and helping Iddra with the dishes. His dreams that night were full of scenarios concerning the baby and his future. In one of them Eir found out about the baby before he returned to Hammerfell for her and told him angrily that she hated him for deceiving her, then told him she no longer wanted anything to do with him. In another Aeri had become a clingy female and decided she wasn't going to let him wed Eir, following him to Hammerfell and stopping the wedding during the ceremony. Another had him stealing the baby from Aeri and holding her in chains to keep her from telling anyone about what he had done. That one caused him to wake up and look around, making sure it was a dream because it had felt so real. He swallowed and lay down again, his heart calming slowly.

"Damn it!" Helgrim pushed the blankets off his body and dressed in the cold air before grabbing the cloak and putting it on.

He walked out of the inn and huddled into the cloak, then stepped off the stairs and looked around. It was probably about three in the morning, but the moons were mostly full so he could see fairly well. He went to see Matilda and patted her softly, feeling her warm breath as she whuffed into his shoulder. Then he left her munching hay in the pen and grabbed his bow and quiver, heading out to the wilderness around Kynesgrove. He couldn't sleep anyway, so why not go see if he could do some hunting for Iddra. As he moved slowly through the snow, he was alert for any slumbering elk or grazing deer. Perhaps he would startle a rabbit or two. The further he walked from Kynesgrove, the more aware he was that he wasn't alone. The creature was following him. He got to thinking that maybe he could get the thing away and give it a sense of security enough to give Helgrim a shot at it. He would be happy to take it down, for not other reason but to give him peace of mind. He jumped down a gully and moved around a bush, readying his bow for the shot. The creature didn't appear, though. He stayed this way for a while, then lowered the bow and put the arrow back. He turned to keep moving and stopped. His heart raced and the sweat started. There, in front of him was the largest wolf he had ever seen. He might have thought he was still dreaming had the eyes not proved that this was the creature that had been following him throughout his journey.

"It's you!" Helgrim hurried to attempt to pull his bow up and grab an arrow, but failed.

"Aye. Stay your hands, Helgrim Frost-Blood."

"You... You... You talk?" He wasn't scared of much in his life, sure, but at this moment he was feeling that way. If you'd seen a wolf as tall on all fours as a man on two suddenly open it's mouth and talk to you, you would be feeling the same.

"Aye. Now, put your weapon away and listen."

Helgrim was dumbfounded and lowered his bow, staring at the black wolf with the yellow eyes that talked to him.

"You are a welcomed follower, Helgrim. I have shown myself now, at a time that you seemed to need it most, because you are worthy."

"Worthy?" He could hardly believe he was having this conversation right now, but he was.

"Aye. I am an Aspect of Talos and I have come to offer a gift to you."

"Talos? A gift? What is going on here?"

"All will be explained to you, but I believe you might need a bit more rest before it is. Please, return to your dwelling and sleep. Do not worry your mind over this. I will come to you again." Then the wolf faded back into the shadows and Helgrim couldn't see the eyes any longer. He swallowed and shook his head, but did as the thing had instructed. He walked back to the inn, went into his room and undressed, then slid into bed and fell asleep. He would surely think that it was all just a dream, a really messed up dream, but a dream nonetheless. Besides, who would ever believe him if he mentioned meeting in the middle of the night with a talking wolf that stood as high as he did? That's right, probably no one. He woke up in the morning with a head that felt like it was full of clouds and made him move sluggishly as he went through his ablutions.

When he tried to think about what had happened, he told himself that it was just a dream. He didn't really go out into the woods and meet up with a very huge black wolf with blazing yellow eyes. He didn't really speak to this wolf and have it speak back to him, about giving him some sort of gift. Did he? Surely that was a crazy thought, but he couldn't deny that something had happened. He was wearing clothes when he awoke this morning and his cloak had been moved, tossed haphazardly to the side instead of draped over the chair like he had left it the previous night. Then there was the matter of the dirt in the bed. He looked as if he'd run several miles barefoot, but his feet weren't dirty, so where did it all come from? He had determined one thing from his supposed adventure, he should take a ride out to the shrine and do some praying. He knew that he could pray anywhere and Talos would hear him, but it had been a while since he was last at the shrine. Apparently his subconscious was telling him he needed to visit it.

After breakfast, he helped Iddra with the dishes and then smiled at her. They had been through so much in such a short time. He'd arrived in Skyrim just about seven months ago. Already she had become such an integral part of his life, he couldn't imagine her not being in it any longer. He explained to her where he was going and said he should be gone for a few hours and not to worry. He then kissed her cheek and left the inn. He took along his backpack and weapons just in case, but didn't feel he'd have to use them. If anything he would be hunting rabbits or pheasants. He walked to the pen where Matilda grazed and grinned when he saw her reaction. She snorted as her head whipped up and she actually squealed loudly and ran up to the fence rail, sliding to a stop before hitting it. He shook his head and opened the gate, watching the mare trot her way out of it proudly. He could almost hear her saying how happy she was that they were going on the road again.

"We're going for a ride, Tilly." He patted her rump and then grabbed her tack and saddled her up. After the bridle was put in, he led her to the road and mounted up. It seemed so long since he had last been in the saddle and it felt great. He'd been working on the house so much that he realized he'd been neglecting her. He felt sorry for that and decided to rectify that now. He urged her into a canter and left Kynesgrove behind him, moving down the road in the direction of Windhelm. Of course he was going to turn off before they got to Windhelm, but first he had to get to the turn off. The horse shook her head and flicked her tail, then settled into a smooth canter, eager to just be out on the road again. Helgrim shook his own head because she was such a character. Who could have known that she would be so excited to go somewhere? Patting her neck, he looked ahead of them and for the first time since he began his trip he didn't feel the creature's presence. He told himself that it meant nothing and just to count himself lucky, but there was something in the back of his mind that was nagging him. He'd had a dream, or whatever it was, last night about meeting up with this huge black wolf with the glowing yellow eyes and today it's not following him. He thought that was odd.

He put it aside, however, as he reached the turn off and passed the Windhelm stable and kept going. They rode over the stone bridge and he slowed her to a trot now, enjoying the ride. Now that the creature wasn't following them, the mare was not nervous and so he wasn't having to soothe her. They were both at ease. It was actually rather nice, something that Helgrim could get used to, but he knew enough to know not to get his hopes up too high or they would surely come crashing down on him. He felt that finding out he was going to be a father was enough hope crashing for a while. A short distance after the bridge, they took the turn that would lead to the shrine. They had been riding along for about an hour and had only met a wagon and its driver heading toward Windhelm. He waved back to the driver and continued on his way without stopping. It wasn't that he didn't want to be sociable, he just wanted to get to the shrine so he could spend quite a bit of time there before he had to head back home. His worship of Talos was important to him. It was a big reason why he had come back to Skyrim in the first place.

Helgrim gave the mare her head as they went up the hill that led to the shrine so she could climb it better. When they reached the top, he could see that it had been messed with. No doubt by some Thalmor pansy who thought he was doing his order a service. He dismounted and patted Matilda, then took the bridle off and let her go. He wasn't worried about her taking off. She was a good little horse and he was glad he'd bought her when he had. They had really bonded over the months. Turning back to the shrine, he shook his head and started to clean it up. He put the candles back in their place and then fixed all the items that hadn't been taken. He noticed that a few items, some he had put here himself even, were missing and figured that whomever messed things up had taken them. Nothing but common thieves, they were. He knelt before the shrine after everything was put back and closed his eyes, bowing his head as he began to pray silently to Talos. He prayed for the health of his child and Aeri. He prayed for good weather so he could keep building his house. He also prayed that Matilda never change her ways.

As he knelt at the shrine, snow began to fall and he stared at the statue of Talos as if to say "Really?" since he'd just asked for good weather. He smiled, however, and rose to his feet. He'd been here for several hours and the sun had obviously gone behind a cloud. He could tell that it was going to get dark earlier that night because of it. He whistled and Matilda came up to him, nickering. He patted her neck with a grin and then put the bridle back on her before remounting. He took one more look around and turned the mare toward the path that led up here and urged her forward, at a walk. With the new snow on the ground he knew it would be slippery in spots and he didn't want, or need for that matter, Matilda slipping and falling and possibly hurting herself. Best to keep things slow and steady. As they rode back toward Kynesgrove, he thought again about the "dream" he'd had the previous night. If the creature was an Aspect of Talos, why then would he come in the form of a giant wolf? Why not a Nord warrior or perhaps even Talos himself? These kept his mind off the snowstorm and thus meant he wasn't micromanaging Matilda on the ride. They made it in almost two hours, nearly twice as long as it took to get there, but they made it home safe.

"Alright, Tilly, you be a good girl now. Alright?" He asked, as if the horse could answer him. He patted her shoulder and then took her bridle and saddle off, letting her loose into the pen. He didn't need to worry about her getting cold in the snow because she was built for it. He closed the gate and watched her for a while, but then he turned and went up the stairs toward the inn. He walked in, not knowing what was awaiting him there. A punch in the face. He stumbled backward and shook his head, looking at who it was that clocked him a good one. He found himself facing off against a beefy Nord man, flexing his fists in preparation for another punch. Helgrim dodged it and caught the man's arm, pinning it behind him.

"What in Oblivion is going on here?"

"We're askin' the questions 'ere," one of the others said and Helgrim realized that there were five other men making the total six men if there weren't any hiding somewhere.

"Aye, I get that. I'd just like to know what I'm getting punched for."

"Would ye look at that? He thinks we care what he wants. Ain't that funny?" Helgrim looked at the bigger of the others that were left and raised an eyebrow at this man. Funny? He saw nothing funny about this. "Ye just stay where ye are. Would ya care to tell us 'bout that fine piece o' ass ya got yerself?"  
"Which one? I have so many." Helgrim grimaced as the man who was obviously the leader of the outfit leaned forward and asked about a 'fine piece o' ass' that he had. Honestly he wasn't sure what the man was talking about. He understood what he was implying, but was he talking about Aeri or did they think he was shacking up with Iddra and not know they were cousins?

"Look, we ain't got all day 'ere. Tell us what we wanna know or else."

"Or else what?" Helgrim shot back, beginning to become annoyed, he brought the beefy man's arm up a little more. It was keeping them off him at least.

"Come on Gerryk. My arm's killin' me!" the beefy man screamed at the leader.

"Buck up, Relfe. He ain't gonna be holdin' ye long," the leader said, motioning to one of the other men and they disappeared. Helgrim made sure his back was to the wall as he held Relfe. It only took the man a couple minutes before he was back again, with Iddra this time. He saw she was bound with rope and bruised, but she wasn't bleeding. That was a good thing. Otherwise Helgrim would have put the hurt on them for touching Iddra and causing her to bleed. Still, Helgrim wasn't happy about what they had done to his cousin, so he growled in Relfe's ear and stared at the leader again.

"Let. Her. Go."

"Are ye nuts? We ain't gonna be lettin' anyone go. Not for a long while." Gerryk laughed and shook his head. "Now, let Relfe go and I'll make sure yer pretty piece here lives." He reached for Iddra and held her back against him, a dagger at her throat.

Helgrim wasn't sure what to do in this situation. They obviously hadn't meant Iddra or they wouldn't have asked about a woman he had gotten himself. With his power of deduction, he figured they either meant Eir or Aeri, neither of which was a good thing. He clenched his jaw, but ultimately he released Relfe's arm and pushed him forward toward the other guys.

"Good choice. Now we can talk," Gerryk said and walked with Iddra over to a table and sat down upon it. Helgrim didn't want to put himself in such a position, but with the other guys ready to move him if he didn't do it himself, he decided to sit down at the table as well. His eyes caught Iddra's and he hoped she was alright.

"Alright. Let's talk. Are you talking about the woman at the lumber mill?" Helgrim asked Gerryk.  
"Aye. I seen ye helpin' 'er out after my men roughed 'er and those fools up a bit." Gerryk laughed as if it was great fun, never once moving his dagger from Iddra's throat.

"Fine. I know her, so what?"

"Well, we was wantin' some fun that day, we was." One of the others spoke up now and he bristled, gathering that he was one of the ones that had been about to rape Aeri.

"Not going to happen, fellas. Just let this woman go, she's done nothing to you. I have. Take me and let her go. I'll tell you anything you want to know about Aeri."

"Ah, that's 'er name eh? Not that I cared much anyway." Gerryk was silent for a moment, but then he took the dagger away from Iddra's throat and cut her ropes. He then stood her up and sent her away, watching as she scurried into a different room and shut the door after giving Helgrim a look.

"Thank you. Now, if you'll walk with me outside, I will tell you what you want to know."

"Relfe, ye'd better get yer sword ready, case he tries anythin," Gerryk said, but stood up, nodding to Helgrim to go ahead of him out the door. This is what he was hoping they would do. Once he was sure that all six men were outside the inn, he took a few extra steps ahead and whistled loudly. "Oy! What are ye doin?" Gerryk asked, but didn't have time to say anything else because suddenly a piercing squeal was heard and in a flash of chestnut and white, Matilda was there.

Helgrim rolled away from the men and pulled his own sword from his belt, glad they hadn't had the intelligence to take it from him and leaped in to attack the nearest man. He could hear the mare and knew she was having her fun attacking the men as well and then let his mind empty of all thoughts except that of survival. With each thrust of his sword, he dove in, struck whichever man was there, then leaped backward and dodging to the side. It came as an instinct, but if someone were to watch him, they would say he had learned his attack technique from the wolves that roamed around the wilderness. They would often lunge forward, bite their prey, then move back and away, only to circle around and lunge again.

Now that Helgrim had killed the first man, he was attacking another one and his blood was alive with the adrenaline of ensuring he stayed alive. It was a heady thing, this feeling. Between him and Matilda, they had killed all of the men except for Gerryk. Helgrim gave a short whistle, different than before, and Matilda backed off, snorting. Gerryk was on the ground, holding his arm that had undoubtedly gotten broken by the mare. Helgrim walked up to him and placed his sword at the man's throat.

"Gerryk, you have pissed off the absolute worst person you ever could have. If I _ever_ hear about you saying anything about Aeri or sending anymore men to "rough her up", you'll end up with far worse than just a few broken bones. Understand?" Matilda stomped her hoof for emphasis and Helgrim thought for sure the man was going to piss himself.

"Aye! Aye! No one ever thought ye'd fight like this! Are... Are ye gonna let me go?"

"I'm prepared to let you go, Gerryk, but you see the mare behind me? She doesn't like people who attack me or anyone I care about. If I were you, I'd think real hard about coming back here. Fact is, if I were you I'd get my ass out of Skyrim and find another line of work. I can only hold the horse back so long before she goes off after you." He saw the man pale and swallow, then nod.

"Aye! I'll leave, I will! Just don't let that beast get me!"

Helgrim smiled and then backed off, though he didn't put his sword away, and patted Matilda.

"Easy Matilda. He's leaving and he's not coming back."

"Damn! Yer as mean as a wolf, ye are!" Gerryk called as he turned tail and ran like a coward away from Kynesgrove. Helgrim laughed and shook his head. Leaving Matilda out and loose in case Gerryk came back, he went to the inn and entered. He was met with a hug this time instead of a punch and he hugged Iddra back.

"I don't even care that you're covered in blood, Grim! Just the fact that you're alive and you saved us all makes me forget that! Oh I was so scared!"

"It's alright, Iddra. There was no way I was going to let anything happen to you or Aeri, or anyone here for that matter. You're my cousin. And you really make such good food it'd be a shame to let you die," he teased and the two of them laughed.

Once he made sure she was alright, he went back outside to dispose of the bodies and take any valuables. It took him a couple hours, but they were buried and he was now dirty on top of being bloody. He would surely need a bath that night before supper. Tomorrow he would ride to the mill and make sure Aeri was unharmed. Tonight, though, he was spending at the inn. After such a close call he wanted to surround himself with family and since Iddra was his only family, he wasn't leaving the inn until daylight.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After the attack on the inn, Helgrim stayed close to home more and more. He would still work on his house, and it was getting there, but it was slow going and he tended to take more breaks. He would go to the inn, check on Iddra, have a bit of bread and cheese, then head back to the house site and work some more. Ganna and Gemma would stop and eat in the inn occasionally and chat him up, but for the most part, his life was centered around Iddra and building his house. He did leave to check on Aeri, Kodrir and Leifur, but he hadn't been back there since. Not only did he have to get over the shock of learning he was going to be a father, he also had to deal with the attack on Iddra and threats to Aeri. He hadn't even had much time to spend on going to the Talos shrine regularly. He made sure to play with Matilda and spend time just grooming her. She had saved his life, pretty much, and he wanted to make sure she knew how much that meant to him.

Each day he would get more of the stonework finished on the house and it actually started to look like a house. He felt proud of himself that he had done all of this by his own hands and even though it wasn't finished yet, he could see it starting to take shape and he realized that it was going to be large. With four bedrooms on the first floor and four bedrooms on the second floor, along with a sitting room on the second floor and the kitchen and dining area on the first floor, it would surely be the grandest house around. Perhaps none would be greater besides those that stood in Windhelm. He would be able to have Iddra stay with him as well as his parents and his brother and three sisters in Hammerfell. And Eir. With everything that had happened he had been thinking about her even more. The fact that he had almost died hadn't been missed and he wrote a letter to Eir and his family giving them updates as to his life in Skyrim. He left out the baby information and the attack on the inn. There was little need to worry everyone since they couldn't come and help him or give comfort.

He wasn't only working on his house during this time. He was also building the stable that would house Matilda. It was about as big as the kitchen and dining area was in the house, but he was certain that it would be comfortable to the mare. She deserved to have a nice place to live just as much as he did. They had been through so much together already and it hadn't even been a year yet. The thought that she was so excited about taking out bandits made him smile and he shook his head, getting back to work. Now that Kjeld and his son had left Kynesgrove, Ganna and Gemma were agitated a lot of the time since they had to do all the mining. Helgrim helped when he could, but between building the house, the stable and helping Iddra, there wasn't much time for anything else. He told the sisters that he would go to Windhelm tomorrow and see if there was anyone looking for work. It was the least he could do after he sent their two miners packing.

In the morning, he said goodbye to Iddra and went outside to Matilda's pen and grinned as she came over to him and whuffed his hair. He patted her neck and then opened the gate. She walked out and stood while he groomed her with a handful of straw, then placed the saddle on her back and buckled the straps. Once that was finished, he put the bridle on her and stroked her neck softly.

"We're going to Windhelm today, Tilly. Nothing too exciting, but it beats standing here all day, doesn't it?" He laughed and then mounted up after making sure his pouch of gold was secured at his waist.  
The mare shifted from side to side beneath him and he urged her forward with his heels, pointing her down the road toward Windhelm. He waved to his cousin and trotted the mare down the road. His mind began to wander, as it often did when he was riding alone, to Hammerfell. He had learned to ride here in Skyrim at the age of one and a half or so, but it was in Hammerfell that he perfected it. The horses there were slimmer and faster versions of Skyrim's horses. They also tended to be a bit on the crazy side and more than once Helgrim ended up in the dirt because he'd tried to do something with the horse and it decided it didn't like whatever he was trying to do. It had given him a great appreciation for the horse, however, and admiration, too. Before Matilda he had never seen one actually go after a person, but he gathered that Tilly wasn't like other horses, not even other Skyrim horses. She was special. He was brought back to reality when the stables came into view and he slowed the mare, then stopped her. He dismounted and led her to Ulundil, handing her off.

"Ah, nice to see you again, Helgrim." Ulundil smiled and took Matilda's reins. "Visiting long?"

"You as well, Ulundil. Nay, not long. Just picking up a few supplies for Iddra. Tell me, do you know of anyone looking for work? Ganna and Gemma are in need of miners."

"Hmmm. You may want to check at Candlehearth. I think a caravan came through a few days ago and unloaded a few passengers. There might be one or two that need a job." He shrugged, then left Helgrim so he could take care of Matilda.

Helgrim thanked him and then walked into the city. He decided he would do his shopping first, then he would go to the inn and ask around for workers. His first stop? The blacksmith of course. He spent an hour talking to Oengul and Hermir, but it was well spent. When he left them he had more knowledge of how to get his forge built and started. He also had an assurance that they would help him set up a stall in the marketplace to sell his wares. He wasn't quite sure if he was going to set up in Windhelm since he didn't want to take business away from Oengul, but he thanked them for the help. Next he went to Sadri's Used Wares and picked up a few things for his cousin. He also happened to find a doll for sale and the whimsical side of him bought it. He wasn't even sure what Aeri was having, but for some reason he was hoping it was a girl and he would give her the doll.

Once he had gotten everything he had come for, he went to Candlehearth Hall and sat down at a table, ordering an ale from a serving girl. He gave the place a look around and picked out the travelers immediately. It helped that he knew the regulars and even the residents of the city who rarely went to the inn. This group wore dusty garments and he noticed they stuck together. They must be a bunch traveling together. The serving girl brought his ale and he handed her a gold, then stood up and walked over to the small group.

"Good day to you all. Name's Helgrim."

"Uh, hello. I'm Kayl. That's my brother Sareth." Helgrim nodded to them both and looked at the other two.

"Right. My name's Vleryn."

"I'm uh, Toryk."

"I couldn't help but notice that you guys aren't from around here," Helgrim inquired and sipped his ale.

"Aye, that we're not. We just arrived from Markarth. Place is crawling with Forsworn."

"Ah, I heard about that fanatical group." Helgrim mentioned, leaning back against the wall. These guys were easy to talk to, certainly a positive note after everything he'd been through lately.

"So my brother and I decided to leave and Vleryn and Toryk came with us. We've been friends since we were toddlers," Sareth said.

"You aren't by any chance looking for some work, are you?" Helgrim asked them, casually, sipping his ale.

"Work? We were discussing that this morning actually. Right, Toryk?"

"Uh, yeah. That's right Vleryn."

"What kind of work are you talking about?" asked Kayl.

"I live in Kynesgrove. About an hour ride south of here and we've got a malachite mine that just lost it's miners. The owners are looking for replacements and I said I would ask around today."

"Mining? Not something we're strangers to, but is it really what we want to do?" Sareth asked Kayl.  
"Can we really afford to be picky right now, brother? My pouch is nearly empty. How's yours?" Kayl returned, giving Sareth a knowing look.

"Point taken, Kayl."

"What is the kickback for mining at this mine, Helgrim?" Vleryn asked, standing tall with arms crossed in front of him.

"Thirty gold for each malachite ore you bring up. The owners only take five gold for themselves." The four men talked amongst themselves and then finally looked at Helgrim.

"Very well. It sounds as good as any job we could find. We'll try it out."

"Are you ready to leave now? I was getting ready to head back before it got dark. I could wait a few minutes if you needed to pack up."

"Oh, uh, Kayl?" They all seemed to look at Kayl as their leader and Helgrim deduced that he probably was the "ringleader" of any trouble the four of them might have gotten into. He remembered being that way with Koli.

"Aye. We can pack up and meet you outside in fifteen minutes?"

"That works for me. I'll be at the stables and I'll wait for you." He said goodbye to them so they could go pack and he left the inn, walking out of the city with his purchases and the happiness of having found Ganna and Gemma a crew of new miners. Roggi was a good guy and all, but he couldn't keep up with the load that the sisters wanted to be brought out of the mine by himself. It would go much faster with five miners than it would with just one. Helgrim met up with Ulundil and smiled, resting his hand on Matilda's rump.

"Thanks for the tip about those caravan passengers, Ulundil. Got them coming with me to Kynesgrove to work in the mine."

"You're welcome, Helgrim. I heard about what happened. Glad to see that you made it through unscathed. Wolf." He grinned and leaned against one of the support beams. "Fella came through here looking pretty beat up, said a man with the instincts of a wolf killed his entire party and left him for dead. I finagled more information out of him and discovered that he'd come from Kynesgrove. I figured he was talking about you." He nodded to the mare. "And perhaps that one." He smiled.

"Aye. Tilly had a field day, but they held a dagger to Iddra's throat, Ulundil. I couldn't have that. I let the man live, he should have been grateful." Helgrim shrugged and then shook Ulundil's hand, looking up to see the four men approaching. "Ah, there you are! Come, there's still plenty of daylight left and we should be able to reach Kynesgrove before darkness falls." He turned and mounted up on Matilda, turned her, then walked away on the road, making sure the men were following.

"Nice horse," Vleryn stated as they walked alongside Helgrim and the mare.

"Thanks. Her name's Matilda, but I call her Tilly."

"Uh, she's staring at me," Toryk said a bit nervously.

"Aye, she takes protecting me very seriously. Why just a couple weeks ago she took out three bandits all by herself and would have killed the last one had I not called her off him."

"Seriously? I've never heard of a horse being so aggressive," said Sareth.

"Neither had I. Not until I met her. She reminded me of the shieldmaiden Matilda in the song of Ragnar the Red that I just had to choose that for her name. It definitely fits her."

"Aye, it does."

They were silent for the rest of the trip to Kynesgrove and that was just fine with Helgrim. He had a lot of thinking to do, not the least of which was how he was going to feel about Iddra being alone with all these men while he was working on his house. After what happened he was leery, but he decided they would be working in the mines while he was building, so Iddra should be safe. Matilda perked her ears up and flared her nostrils as they got nearer to home and he stroked her mane as they trotted up the road and turned into the village. He rode up to the inn and dismounted, then turned to the guys.  
"This is Kynesgrove. It's small, but it's home. Here is Braidwood Inn, my cousin Iddra runs it. If you go around the side and up the hill, you'll find the path to the mine and down there are the tents where the miners sleep."

"Nice little place. Where should we put our stuff?" Kayl asked.

"You'll be staying in the tents, so you can just go bring your stuff down there. I've got to put Matilda up, then I can take you to the mine to talk to the owners."

"Alright. Thank you, Helgrim." The four men turned away and walked down to the tents. Helgrim turned back to Matilda and started to unsaddle her, then took her bridle off and brushed her with a handful of straw.

"What do you think, Tilly?" The mare snorted and stamped a hoof and Helgrim chuckled. "Aye. I'll keep an eye on them as well. You do so when I can't and we'll be good."

Helgrim finished grooming her and put her back into the pen and then closed the gate. She pranced and bucked and then settled to eat her hay. Helgrim turned and met up with the guys, walking up to the mine with them. When they entered the dimly lit tunnels, he led them to Ganna Uriel and pointed at them.

"Ganna, I said I would see about getting you some new miners. Here they are."

"Yes, well, we'll see." She looked them up and down, each one, and then shrugged. "Get a pickaxe and start mining. I need miners and I suppose you'll do."

Helgrim watched her walk away and then looked over at the men. They seemed to be surprised they didn't get more of an "interview" than that and he laughed.

"Don't feel bad, guys. That's just Ganna. Her sister, Gemma, is worse. If you need to deal with them, make sure you deal with Ganna. Gemma regrets ever coming here and she'll draw you into a tirade about it."

"Thanks Helgrim," Vleryn said and then shook his hand. The others clapped him on the back, took their pickaxes and started to get to work. Helgrim told them they were welcome and then left them to it. He left the mine and made his way to the inn, where he was greeted by a familiar and welcome face.  
"Fjolnar, you scoundrel!" He laughed as he gave his friend a hug and then smiled at Iddra who was beaming at the arrival of Fjolnar. "How have you been?"

"I've been well, Grim, though I hear that you've had a bit of a rough time eh? We'll have to talk more of this attack that Iddra was speaking of, but tell me... Are you seriously going to be a father?"

"Aye, should be a few more months away, but I am. Aeri's taking it well, the fact that I am not offering to wed her. She knows I have Eir back home in Hammerfell. We agreed that it would be best to let things lie where they are instead of stirring the pot."

"Good idea. I still can't believe that you're gonna have a kid. What a strange world, eh?"

"Aye. I'm going to get cleaned up before supper. Iddra, I got what you needed from Windhelm." He reached into the bag to get her items and his hand touched the doll. He sighed as the thought of holding his child in his arms came into his head. It was a scary thought, but a fascinating one as well. He was sure he would be a good father. He had a great role model to look up to, his own father.

"Thank you, Grim. Fjolnar, you must stay a while."

"Yes, Fjolnar. Don't disappear on me again. I could use your help with my house." He smiled and then disappeared. He would give the man something to do to keep him around while he and Iddra fell in love and decided to stay together. He wasn't usually a romantic, but this idea was something else. His cousin deserved to be happy and that happiness involved Fjolnar. He left them there and went into his room to clean up.

For a while everything seemed to work out just fine. Iddra and Fjolnar spent a lot of time together and Helgrim sensed they were growing closer together, which was a very good thing in his mind. The miners were giving Ganna and Gemma a profit for once, something that hadn't happened in a while. Even things with Aeri were moving along well. As she grew in size, Helgrim found that he had an urge to spend time with her when he wasn't working on his house. That was another thing, the first floor was finished, including the inner walls, and he had started working on the second floor. His hope was that he would be finished with the house before Aeri gave birth to their child, but he wasn't sure if he would be. It definitely moved faster with Fjolnar helping him build it and now that he was working on the second floor, he'd brought Hermir over to help him as well. So there were three of them working on the massive house, which made the work progress easier. That was all about to change, though, as he received a letter one day. In it, he was told to leave the inn and not tell anyone what was happening. If he told then bad things would happen to Aeri. Helgrim had come to care for Aeri, so he didn't want anything to happen to her. He left, simply saying that he would be back later, then saddled Matilda and left Kynesgrove. The letter had given him directions of where to meet and if he was going to meet up with someone who had Aeri captive, he wanted Matilda with him.

He rode out with a purpose, he wanted to get to Aeri before the bastard that had her caused her any harm. Matilda seemed to sense it and didn't argue with him as he pushed her on into a canter toward Windhelm, then took the turn to the stone bridge. They rode across it loudly and he didn't stop. They rode as if they were heading to Anga's Mill, but continued past the bridge that would take him to her as instructed. He rode onward and slowed the mare only when the path on the left side came into view. He turned her onto it and trotted up the hill. However, before he would have come into sight, he stopped the mare and dismounted.

"Alright, Tilly. Now, these guys have Aeri. They've threatened her. You know what that means? They've threatened my child. What sort of punishment do you think they deserve?" he whispered to the horse who tossed her head, flared her nostrils and shifted in place. She was eager to go take them out. She didn't really understand what Helgrim was saying, but she could gather he was upset and that whomever was over the knoll deserved to die. She could do that. Helgrim smiled and patted the mare, then took off her saddle and bridle, letting her go after the person or people responsible. The mare took off without anymore encouragement and Helgrim crouched to stay out of sight. He heard screams and a call to arms, but after a few minutes, he heard nothing else and grinned, moving forward to see Matilda stomping a lifeless body then backing up. There was one other dead body a short distance away, a sword still in the bandit's hand.

"Good girl, Tilly. Relax." The mare nudged him with her bloody muzzle and then went to grab some grass that was growing up out of the snow.

Helgrim shook his head and crouched once more. He would check their bodies after he found Aeri and killed every last one of them. He left Matilda outside and made his way into the cave. After stopping to let his eyes adjust to the dimmer light, he stepped further down the tunnel. These bastards picked the wrong man to screw with and they would learn that. He had to wonder what it was about Aeri, though, that made everyone want to take her hostage or threaten her life in some other way. Was it him? Did her association with him put her in danger? If so, he would have to cut ties with her to keep her protected. Another thought came to him as he stalked silently down the tunnel. If they would use Aeri to get to him, what would stop them from using Eir as well? He couldn't bring her here if she would just be in danger like that. Seeing a guard patrolling ahead, he sneaked up behind him and covered his mouth as he dragged him backward into the tunnel and slit his throat. He wasn't about to waste any time talking to these idiots. They took the mother of his child and threatened her life. They would pay.

He lowered the man to the ground and kept his mouth covered until he died. Then he walked stealthily forward once again. Now he saw two bandits sitting near a fire, seemingly warming themselves, and took out his bow. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and drew the bow back, aimed, and let the arrow fly at the first bandit. It hit squarely in the back of the man's head and he watched him fall forward with a grunt. The other bandit beside him stood up and drew her sword, looking around for where the arrow came from. He stayed out of sight until she turned her back and drew the bow once more. He loosed the arrow and struck her in the back. She spun around and spotted him, then started limping toward him. He laughed a little and fired another arrow, this time hitting her chest. She dropped to the ground. He made sure she was dead before continuing on. He found a door and opened it, carefully. He saw a man walking away and pulled his bow back, letting the arrow fly and hit him.

With deadly precision, Helgrim made it through the cave without stopping. He went up the stairs and saw another man sitting at the far end of the tunnel. He wasn't spotted, so he shot an arrow at the man and was rewarded with a head shot. The guy dropped immediately, twitching. He smiled and moved on. There were two doors off the tunnel he was in. One on the left and one on the right. Unsure of which to go into first, he put his ear to the one on the left to see if he could hear anything on the other side. He heard snoring and figured that was a good sign. He now pulled out his sword for the coup de grace and opened the door. Unfortunately, he hadn't anticipated the woman that was still awake. Before he could reach her to silence her, she had awakened the man who was sleeping. He now had to take care of two at once. He swung his sword out at the woman and caught her blade instead of her. He grit his teeth and used the hilt of his sword to slam into her head, causing her to stumble backwards, stunned. He then turned to the man that had grabbed a sword and come after him.

The woman was still stunned and Helgrim turned to fight with the man. Lucky for him the man wasn't wearing any armor. He thrust his sword forward and buried the blade into the man's chest. He held it there until he felt the guy slump and then pulled it back out. He turned to the woman who had shaken off the hit and was now coming after him again. He met her blow for blow and pushed her back each time. When he had her pressed against the wall, he looked into her eyes.

"Where. Is. Aeri?"

"Where do you think? With Halron. He's waiting for you."

"He'll get his, too, but tell me. Has Aeri been harmed?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Helgrim rolled his eyes and placed his blade at her neck, his eyes staring deep into her own.

"Are you sure now is a good time to mess around?"

"Fine. No, she's not been harmed. I ain't sure why Halron wanted you to come running like you did. He never told us how aggressive you were."

"Aye. This wolf doesn't take any shit from anyone. Don't you forget it."

"Are you going to let me go?"

"Aye, after I've taken care of your leader and helped Aeri. Turn around and put your hands behind you." When she did so, he used a length of rope and tied her up. Then he sat her on a bed and left the room, shutting the door. He walked across the hall to the other door and listened to it. He could hear muffled voices and one of them was familiar. Aeri. He was keen enough not to just rush into the room possibly to his death. No, it would take strategy. He could tell there was only Halron left inside there with her so that was a plus. Well, unless there was another in there that wasn't saying anything like there was in the previous room with the woman. He'd not known she was there. He readied his bow with an arrow and then opened the door quickly. Before he could shoot the man, he had grabbed Aeri and put her in front of him.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would arrive, Helgrim."

"You wanted me here, Halron, let the woman go."

"I don't think so, Helgrim. She is the only thing keeping you from killing me right now. I'm not foolish."  
"Fine, what was so damned important that you needed to kidnap her to lure me here? Why not just send a letter and ask me over for tea?"

"Come now, Helgrim. What assurance would I have that you would show up? With the woman here I knew for sure that you would be here."

"Alright. So tell me why."

"Sit please? And lower your weapon. We both know you're not going to shoot while I have her in front of me." Helgrim grumbled, but put his bow away. Halron was right, he wouldn't shoot when he could potentially harm Aeri. He sat down and sighed, putting his hand on his sword handle, though.  
"I'm sitting. Speak."

"Good. Now I asked you here because you have certainly been doing your fair share of damage around Skyrim. There are some groups of people that have taken exception to the fact that you're allowed to just roam wherever you like."

"Clearing out ruffians and thieves. That's hardly a 'fair share of damage', Halron."

"Aye, but you also killed Imperial soldiers and Thalmor agents. Do you understand what that has done to their families?"

"Ah, I get it now. From the vein popping out of your head I'd say that one of the Imperial soldiers I killed was a relative of yours. Stop trying to cover it up by saying there are groups of people when it's clearly just you."

"You're starting to get on my nerves, Nord."

"Aha, there's that anger, Halron. I knew it was in there somewhere. Do you really want to hide behind a mere woman when the man who killed your brother, your uncle, your cousin perhaps is standing right in front of you?" He saw the man twitch a little and was afraid for a moment that his strategy would backfire and Aeri would be harmed, but then she was pushed aside and the man lunged at Helgrim.

"He was my brother!"

Helgrim, since he had been expecting something like this, pulled his sword as the man made to lunge at him. They clanged steel several times before Halron managed to cut Helgrim pretty good on the arm. He laughed, but in the next moment Helgrim was attacking with force and sliced Halron across the chest. The man stood there, holding the wound for a few moments before his lips moved wordlessly and he dropped to the ground. Helgrim panted from the exertion and held his own wound, but put his sword away so he could hold Aeri who was practically falling into his arms. He smiled and hugged her, his head buried in her hair. They stayed that way for several minutes before either spoke.

"I was so afraid when I read that letter, Aeri."

"Oh Grim, it was awful. I was scared that they would beat me or worse. I knew you would come and that made me worried because there were so many of them and only... Only one of you." She swallowed tears and pressed her face against his chest. Helgrim winced and then realized he still had a bleeding wound on his arm. He placed his hand over the wound and closed his eyes, focusing on the healing magic and it flowed through his fingers and into the wound, closing it.

"You're safe now, Aeri. Come. Tilly's waiting outside for us. You can ride while I walk." He smiled at her and then picked her up easily, carrying her out of the cave. He took it slow riding back to the mill with her, not sure how much jostling was alright for a baby and how much wasn't. By the time they reached the mill it was night time. He helped her into the house and then took care of the mare. He gave her double the oats she would have gotten and patted her rump before heading back inside himself. Aeri asked him to stay the night, so he agreed. It wasn't like he felt like leaving her right now anyway. Not after something like this. He also planned to bring up the idea of her living in Kynesgrove with him so he could keep her safe. Tonight, however, he went to sleep with her in his arms and felt very content.

Helgrim went back to Kynesgrove a few days afterward with Aeri, determined to keep her safe from any harm that may come her way again. If she was staying in Kynesgrove he wouldn't worry about her and he could get the house done easier. Perhaps he could even get it done quicker as well. If he had a reason, like moving her into it for example, he would make sure it was finished in a reasonable amount of time. She was only about four months along in the pregnancy right now, so they had time, but he couldn't just decide not to work on it. He had to finish. Not just for Aeri and the baby, but also for his family and ... Eir. He still loved her and intended to wed her, but he wasn't sure she would want to wed him after she found out about Aeri and the baby. He supposed he would face that bridge when they came to it.

Iddra had accepted Aeri into the inn with open arms. She'd had her reservations at first, but after she'd gotten to know her she had determined that Aeri could make a decent friend after all. It was all but set in stone when Helgrim arrived with Aeri and Iddra took the woman off to talk about the room she was going to be staying in. Helgrim had shaken his head and gone to take care of his mare and letting the women spend time together. During the next few months he worked hard on the house along with Fjolnar and Hermir. As Aeri grew more and more round with his child he realized that he was truly looking forward to when he could hold said child in his hands. Not that he'd admit that to anyone but himself if asked. The house was nearly finished and he had started work on the forge, with help from Hermir, while Fjolnar started work on the stable for Matilda.

He saw it all coming together and for the first time in a very long time he felt the eyes of the wolf following him. It had been months since he'd last felt the eyes, but now that he felt them again he was actually looking forward to meeting with whatever it was. At least if he met with it again he couldn't say it was a dream because it was daytime and he wasn't sleeping. After making sure Hermir and Fjolnar were alright, he made his way into the hills to search for the huge wolf again. There weren't that many trees here for it to hide behind, so he wasn't exactly sure how the creature tended to stay hidden. Just that he did. Perhaps it was magic. Maybe it was just all in his head and there really was no huge wolf. Either way, he went out to see if he could find it or if it could find him. He had to prove to himself that he wasn't crazy.

Helgrim didn't go out there unprepared, however. He took along his bow and quiver, as well as the sword that stayed belted to his waist. It never hurt to be prepared for whatever came your way. If this thing was an actual wolf, he would just kill it. If he wasn't insane and it had a gift for him, then the weapons would be unnecessary and would instead stay where they were. He also wasn't certain the wolf would show up since it was daytime, but he figured it couldn't hurt. With the pack of food slung over his shoulder, he walked further from Kynesgrove and deeper into the wilderness that was Skyrim. Now that he had finally gotten used to the weather, he didn't need to wear his cloak everywhere he went.  
As he reached the top of a small hill, he looked down into an equally small valley and saw the wolf near a stand of trees. It was even more magnificent during the day than it was at night. The midnight colored fur shimmered and he knew now it was not in his imagination alone that it did so. The glowing yellow eyes that he had become so familiar with shone directly at him and beckoned him forward. He stepped slowly toward the wolf, standing only slightly taller than its own massive head. Seeing the creature like this determined that he was not in fact an insane idiot, it really did exist. He swallowed and then straightened, gazing into the wolf's eyes.

"Good day, Helgrim Frost-Blood."

"Good day to you, wolf."

"Do you understand why I have brought you out here, Helgrim?"

"You mentioned something about a gift last time, but I honestly thought I had been dreaming that night. Obviously I wasn't or you wouldn't be here again. Unless I'm dreaming again."

"Nay, you are not dreaming, Helgrim, and you speak the truth. I come to offer you a gift, given from Talos himself."

Helgrim wasn't sure about that. Why would Talos want to give him a gift? And why would his Aspect be a wolf, shouldn't that be Hircine's thing? He wasn't sure if he should take what the thing was saying as truth or as bull, yet.

"Before you say anything else, why does the Aspect of Talos come in the form of a huge wolf?"

"Ah, a good question. Perhaps you were expecting a warrior like Talos himself? Aye well, there are many Aspects of Talos and each is catered to the mortal they appear before. You have the crafty nature of a wolf and you fight like one, thus I come to you in the form of a wolf."

"Alright. That sounds plausible enough. Fine, what's this gift that is to be offered to me?"

"Talos has seen how you worship him faithfully and as I said how you act and fight like a wolf, because of this he has granted me the ability to gift you with the ability to change yourself."

"Change myself? How so?"

"To change yourself into that of a wolf. Like myself."

Helgrim almost couldn't process what the creature just said to him. A few things were running through his head currently. First, the fact that Talos knew how dedicated he was to him. That would blow anyone's mind regardless of who they were. He was glad that his deity knew about his worship, but it was a little creepy at the same time. Second, that he knew how he was as a person. He had never thought of himself like a wolf, but now that it was pointed out he could totally see it. It was as if he were looking in someone else's eyes as he went about his life and he had to agree that it seemed very lupine-ish. Finally, the idea that Talos wanted to give him a gift and that gift being the ability to change INTO the wolf that he was so much like already. He wasn't sure how to proceed from here and so he stared at the wolf with an uncertain look on his face.

"Your hesitance is unfavorable, Helgrim. It is not as if you would always be a wolf from this point on."

"What do you mean then?"

"You would be able to change whenever you wished."

"Oh, like a werewolf? I'm not sure I want to be a werewolf."

"No, a werewolf is something different, Helgrim. Those individuals have been gifted, though some say cursed, by Hircine and have no humanity left in their minds when they are in transition. What you would be given is the chance to become a regular wolf, only...bigger."

"Alright. So I'd be like you, but not an Aspect."

"Right. You would still be you, just as a wolf. Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to talk while you were the wolf, but then I wouldn't recommend being near people in your wolf form either. You people tend to freak out when you see something as large as myself."

"Aye, tell me about it. I was sure it was a dream when I first saw you that night."

"No dream, Helgrim. There are a few things you should know about this gift, however, should you decide to accept it."

"Alright, let's hear it."

"First, you are being offered this gift by Talos and he can take it away at any point should he feel that you are abusing it."

"That sounds reasonable enough. I would expect nothing less of Talos. Go on."

"Next, not that I understand why I have to say this other than it's part of the whole package, but you cannot reproduce with normal wolves while in this form. No matter how hard you try."

"Uhm, not a problem there. I have no interest in having sex with wolves in ANY form. What else?"  
"Very well. I have to say it, you understand." At Helgrim's nod, he went on. "If you sire any children they will be normal. This gift only applies to you, not to your bloodline."

"Interesting, yet I get it. Makes sense since this is a gift."

The wolf shifted position and sniffed the breeze, then let out a small sneeze and looked at Helgrim again.

"It would also be a good idea not to tell anyone about your gift. They may think you are a monster, much like a werewolf is considered, and hunt you down."

"Aye, I wouldn't want that."

"Alright, so I ask this of you. Do you accept the gift of Talos being offered to you, Helgrim Frost-Blood?"

Helgrim thought about it for a moment and realized he wasn't so entirely sure it would be a good thing for him. Sure, it would be pretty cool to be able to turn into a wolf whenever he wanted, but there were a few more questions he had to have answered before he accepted the gift.

"I have a few questions. First, will I have my faculties intact when I am the wolf or will I just be wanting to kill everyone and everything I see? Second, will my horse know something is up with me? She was very nervous with your eyes on us while we traveled. Finally, will I be penalized if I do tell someone about it? I guess what I want to know is if it IS a secret or not."

"Very good questions all of them. Yes, while you are the wolf you will still be you. You won't be thinking like a wolf, you will be thinking like yourself. You just won't be able to talk." The creature sat down and yawned, then continued on. "I'm not sure about your horse. She seems to be very perceptive, so she may sense something is different. It might take a little extra work on your part to get her to not be nervous around you or she could be totally fine about it. Horses are such fickle creatures." He licked his lips. "And lastly, no, it is not a great hush-hush secret that something bad will happen when you tell someone about it, it's just recommended that you keep it to yourself or at least only to people you trust one hundred percent."

"Thank you. That helped clear up a few things. Alright, I will accept the gift from Talos."

"Very well, Helgrim Frost-Blood. Stand still and receive this gift."

Helgrim stayed still and shut his eyes, not really sure what was going to happen. He heard the blood rushing in his ears and his heart beat rapidly with anticipation, but he didn't move. There was no other sound from the wolf and after a few minutes, he opened his eyes and was assaulted by the way everything looked to him. No longer did he see the blue sky and the green grass and white snow. Everything was different. His nose twitched with the range of smells that were funneling into it and he looked down at his feet. Where before he had stood in clothes and boots, he now had furry paws. He swallowed and looked around, his sides heaving as the panic hit. Eventually, after lying down in the snow, he calmed down and realized this was the gift. He had been changed. He was a wolf. Now that he had accepted the idea, he looked himself over, at least what he could see of himself. He was completely white furred except for the pads on the bottom of his paws. They were black and tickled when he licked them. Licked them! For a few minutes he just sat there and licked his face. Then he realized that he was essentially licking his nose and shook his head at the thought. He stood up and wagged his tail, laughing on the inside at the near giddiness he was feeling at being the wolf.

He sniffed the air and found that he could pinpoint what each scent was. That was a fir tree, that was a snowberry bush. Oh, that one was a rabbit. He licked his lips at that thought, then shook his head. He had a reason for sniffing the air. Ah, there it is. He followed that scent until he reached the small pond and walked to the edge. Slowly, he looked down at it and was surprised to see his face. His nose was black as well as the skin around his eyes, but what really shocked him was his eyes. They were a piercing ice blue and he shivered at the sight of them, and they were his own! He opened his mouth and looked at all the teeth, then the tongue. It was amazing to see it in such detail. He was exactly like the wolves that he had killed his whole time in Skyrim. The only difference, he noticed, was that he stood about five feet high at the shoulder. If he lifted his head, he was even taller. He was even more so when he stood on his hind legs. He was nearly caught up so much in his own examination that he didn't notice the footsteps approaching, but luckily his lupine ears did and he slinked into the shadows.

The figure of a woman appeared and his nose told him it was Iddra and his ears picked up her calling for him. Wondering what was going on, he almost stepped out and told her he was right there, but he remembered he was a wolf. How was he going to manage this? That creature had said it was something he could change into whenever he wanted, but he'd never told him how to change back! Curse him! He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, then focused on his human body and clothes and boots. When he opened his eyes and looked down, he was himself again. That wasn't hard and he sent an apology prayer to Talos for doubting him. Once he was sure he had come back clothed and not naked or something he stood up and waved at his cousin.

"Iddra! What's wrong?"

"Grim, it's Aeri! She's in labor! It's too early. She wasn't supposed to have the child until next month."

Helgrim shook his head and grit his teeth, but followed his cousin back to the house. He never should have left her. He should have known something would happen. Here he was enjoying the gift that Talos had granted him when the mother of his child was laboring to bring that child into a world it might not survive. He'd heard horror stories about women birthing babies and the mother, the baby or both didn't survive. He prayed that wouldn't happen. He prayed to Talos that they both be fine and healthy. If needed, he could take the gift back so that Aeri and the baby could live. It didn't take long to reach the inn again and he went immediately to Aeri's side. He ignored the insistence of Hermir that he leave the room. He would stay right by Aeri's side to make sure she was alright. Hermir shook her head and knew a losing battle when she saw one. She went back to Iddra to discuss what they needed to do for Aeri's labor. Fjolnar was conspicuously absent, but Helgrim didn't even notice. Honestly, his entire focus was on Aeri and the baby. He didn't even know that Hermir and Iddra were still there.

"You'll be fine, Aeri. Just breathe. Relax." He was sweating beads because he was worried, but he would do his best to appear confident for Aeri's sake.

She labored throughout the night and well into the next day, sleeping for an hour in between contractions at times, but near sundown on the second day Hermir announced that Aeri could start pushing. Helgrim paid little attention to what they were doing, helping Aeri breathe and push when she was told. He held her hand and smoothed her hair back from her head. He wiped the sweat off her forehead and bit his lip when she squeezed his hand so hard he thought it would break, but he said nothing. He was a solid rock for her. Finally, a half hour after she began to push, he heard it. That first little wail the baby made and he turned to see Iddra holding the child in her arms. It was bloody and wet, but it was moving its tiny hands and feet frantically and crying. It was crying up a storm!

"Oh Grim, Aeri. Say hello to your daughter," Iddra announced softly and held her up to them.  
Helgrim felt his heart breaking as he looked at the baby who was still crying. She was his daughter. His little girl. He sighed and then turned his head to tell Aeri how proud of her he was. His face went pale as he realized that she wasn't breathing. He shook his head and panicked.

"NO!"  
He shook her slightly, tapping her face and tried to "wake" her. Unbidden, tears began to fall from his eyes as he attempted to get her to breathe again. Hermir stepped back and stood with Iddra who held the baby girl. The cord had been tied off and snipped and the baby was now wrapped in a blanket. The women looked on as the tears fell down their own faces when they, too, realized that Aeri was no longer breathing. They watched as Helgrim shook Aeri and breathed into her mouth for her, but nothing worked. The woman had passed on. Silently, they slipped out of the room with the baby to give Helgrim a chance to say goodbye in his own way.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

Nearly three months had passed since Aeri's death and the birth of his daughter, but Helgrim was still having a hard time dealing with the grief. After all of the eager waiting for the arrival of his daughter, the fact that to have her in his life he'd had to lose her mother in the bargain hurt immensely. He left the girl in the care of his cousin, Iddra, and would disappear for hours at a time. His house was sitting unfinished because he didn't allow Fjolnar and Hermir to work on it without him, and that was something that he had felt less and less like doing. During the times he would disappear, he became the wolf and ran until his lungs ached and all he could think of was finding a drink to cool down. Talk had quickly spread about the wolf that ran in the forests surrounding Kynesgrove and other small villages around Windhelm. No one had actually seen it, but there were reports of flashes of white and the paw prints in the snow were unmistakable. They were huge.

Hunting parties had gone out to find the wolf which now had a bounty on his head. Five thousand gold pieces to anyone who brought the beast down and could prove it. Helgrim heard about the bounty and though it didn't keep him from changing into the wolf and running, it did cause him to be much more careful about where he did so. More than once he had almost walked upon a group of hunters because he hadn't been paying attention. The times he took off and disappeared were diminishing, however, and he was slowly getting over Aeri's death. In his own way.

One day, Helgrim knelt before her grave and prayed. He prayed to Talos for guidance and wisdom. He didn't get a reply, but he had a feeling inside that he had a responsibility to his daughter. He shouldn't be relying on Iddra to take care of her. She was a newlywed and deserved to be able to start her new life. Without Helgrim's problems in the way. It did please him that Fjolnar hadn't let anything stop him from wooing Iddra and finally wedding her. He stood up from the ground and looked around the area. There were few trees that stood here, but he still knew Aeri would have loved the spot. It was the reason he had insisted they bury her there. Letting out a slow breath, he made his way back to the village and went into the inn.

Upon his entrance, the entire collection of persons in the inn stopped what they were doing and looked at him. He felt as if he were naked the way they gazed at him. He cleared his throat and walked further into the common room. Amid the sounds of the baby girl crying softly and Iddra in one of the rooms speaking to her, there was silence. Everyone's eyes, however, were on him as he strolled through the room. At one table sat the miners Kayl, Sareth, Vleryn and Toryk. At another sat Ganna and Gemma with Fjolnar. He could hear the pounding of his heart in his ears and tried not to think about the idea that they were talking about him and that was why they quieted when he entered the inn. Fjolnar rose from the table and approached Helgrim carefully, having been the victim of his friend's grief more than once in the past three months.

"Grim?" Helgrim stopped and looked over at his friend.

"Aye?"

"Damn, you look like something dragged in from Oblivion."

"Thanks, Fjolnar. I probably smell pretty bad, too, eh?"

"Aye, that you do, Grim. Would you like me to uh, get a bath ready for you?"

"Perhaps. I must do something first, though. You understand, don't you?"

"Aye, my friend. I do." Fjolnar placed his hand on Helgrim's shoulder and squeezed it in a comforting gesture, then nodded and stepped away.

Helgrim nodded back and continued walking through the room and toward the room holding Iddra and his daughter. His jaw clenched as he neared the door before raising his knuckles to the wood and knocking upon it. He heard Iddra sigh and then her soft footsteps approaching the door to answer it. He braced himself for seeing Iddra, and his daughter, after so long being absent. Iddra opened the door and was surprised to see Helgrim standing before her. She cradled the baby girl in her arms and swallowed, wondering what was going on in her cousin's mind at the moment. She was sure he wouldn't do harm to the child, but she wasn't so sure about herself.

"Grim?"  
"Aye, Iddra." Helgrim looked weary. His eyes were bloodshot and dark around them from lack of sleep. Iddra's didn't look much better, proof that she had been up with the baby a lot of the time. He felt bad about that.

"You... You look awful, Grim."

"I know. I'm sorry I haven't been here to help."

"It's not a trouble, Grim. She's been a doll. Right now she isn't feeling well, that's why she's fussy."

"Still, I should not have been gone so much. I should have been here, taking care of her."

"No one bla-"

"I blame myself, Iddra. Don't you see? I feel guilty for not even giving her a name." He swallowed and then tensed slightly. "Can... Can I hold her?"

"Of course you can. She's your daughter. Come and sit down over here." She directed him to a chair in her room. Helgrim stepped inside and then went to sit down where she indicated. "Now, hold out your arms."

Helgrim did so and Iddra placed the baby into his arms, then took a step back. The little girl gave a yawn and looked up at Helgrim. He couldn't believe he had missed out on so much of her life already. He was such a dunce.

"She likes you, Grim. No one else can hold her. She cries bloody murder when they do." Iddra sounded quite impressed.

"She knows I'm her papa." He didn't know if the baby really did know that he was her father, but he liked to think something like that was instinctual. "What have you been calling her?"

"I've refrained from giving her a name, Grim. I knew you would eventually come back and want to do that yourself. Normally we use "Baby" or "Sweetie" when we speak to her."

"I appreciate that, cousin. Do... Do you mind giving me uh, a few minutes with her?"

"You don't have to ask, Grim. She's yours, yours forever. I'll let you get to know her." Iddra kissed her cousin's cheek and then smiled before leaving the room, shutting the door softly. She almost ran into her new husband when she turned around. "Fjolnar?"

"What do you suppose changed in him? Why'd he come back now?" he asked Iddra.

"I don't know, dear. Maybe he just realized he had a duty to do? Come on, let's go. He needs his time and I'm starved." They both chuckled a little hesitantly and then turned back to the common room.

Helgrim held the baby girl, slowly becoming more and more accustomed to how she moved and what she liked and didn't like. He could hardly get over the fact that she looked so much like Aeri. Not entirely, for sure, but the baby had her eyes. He took a deep breath to shake off the sadness and focused on the baby. She reached out her tiny hand and touched his cheek, her blue eyes looking into his own. Instantly he felt the connection. She was his and he was hers. Forever. No one could ever take that away.  
"Well my little Lifa, I suppose we're stuck with one another, eh?" The baby cooed and grabbed onto his cheek, smiling. It hurt, but Helgrim didn't care. "Can you keep a secret?" He grinned. "Your papa is the Frost Wolf and you will never be unprotected. Between me and Tilly, we have you covered." Then he gave the baby a small hug and a kiss on the forehead before he got to his feet.

"Aeri, you gave your life to give this life to me. Her name shall be Lifa Aeri Frost-Blood and she shall forever be by my side. Now, let's go outside and meet your special auntie Tilly." Helgrim opened the door and with a proud smile on his face took the first steps as a new man. A father with a purpose, a protective wolf inside and a brand new view on his life. He must finish his house so that he can bring his family home. Then, when they're all here, he can go to war against the Imperials and win their freedom.


End file.
